Supreme Court Directs Extra Police Scrutiny Following Manipur Rape Case
The Supreme Court has directed the Manipur Director General of Police to oversee investigations into rape cases following the May 4 incident where three women were raped in Manipur. The Home Ministry submitted a report to the Supreme Court stating that these measures are being implemented to prevent the recurrence of such heinous crimes.
The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, expressed deep concern after viewing footage of the incident on July 19. The court demanded that both central and state governments take action to apprehend the culprits and prevent future incidents of this nature.
The Union Home Ministry has been closely monitoring the case since it first came to light, according to an affidavit submitted by Indian Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on July 28. The affidavit reiterated the ministry’s request to transfer the trial to a court outside Manipur and informed the Supreme Court of the decision to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Given that only the Supreme Court has the authority to transfer a case outside a state, the Union Home Ministry urged the court to issue an order ensuring that the investigation is completed within six months of the CBI filing the chargesheet.
In addition to these measures, the affidavit also outlined efforts to support the victims. An all-women team, consisting of two psychiatrists and a psychologist from Surachandpur District Hospital, has been assembled to provide assistance. However, due to opposition from civil society organizations in Surachandpur, the state authorities have been unable to directly contact the victims as they have relocated to a different area.
The state government has also developed a plan for the rehabilitation of the victims, which includes providing consultation by trained professionals, education, job opportunities, and vocational training. The affidavit emphasizes that the state government will ensure confidentiality, security, and support for the victims and their families.
To prevent the repetition of such incidents, police station in-charges have been instructed to report all cases to the Director General of Police (DGP). The investigations will be supervised by a Superintendent of Police under the direct supervision of the DGP. The Ministry also mentioned that a suitable reward will be provided for reporting incidents and providing information leading to the arrest of the culprits.
As the investigation into the case progressed, the Manipur police have arrested seven individuals since the release of the video on July 19. Notably, no progress was made in the investigation until July 19, even though a zero FIR was registered on May 18.
These measures are expected to address not only the immediate concerns but also to establish a system that will prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.