The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has taken suo motu cognizance of a distressing video that emerged from Manipur, depicting two women being subjected to sexual violence and paraded naked amidst the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state.
The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, seeking the presence of Attorney General for India R Venkataramani and Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta this morning, expressed deep concern over the incident.
“We are very deeply disturbed by the videos that have emerged yesterday, showing the horrific treatment of the two women in Manipur. We express our grave concern. It is imperative that the government takes immediate and decisive action. Such acts are simply unacceptable,” the CJI remarked.
CJI Chandrachud further pointed out that using women as instruments to inflict gender violence in a region of communal strife is an extremely disturbing and the most severe violation of human rights.
He emphasized that the Court is well aware of the video’s date being May 4, but it holds no bearing on the seriousness of the matter.
“We will allow the government some time to take necessary action; however, if insufficient steps are taken, the Court will intervene,” warned the CJI, demanding details of the actions taken by the authorities since May to bring the criminals to justice and to prevent such incidents from recurring.
The Court expressed concerns about whether this was an isolated incident or part of a broader pattern.
CJI informed the law officers that the Court would consider this issue in the ongoing batch of cases related to the Manipur violence on July 27, 2023.
