Supreme Court Reviews Bail for Men Accused in Manipur Violence Case
CBI Appeals Supreme Court on Bail Decision
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has approached the Supreme Court to contest the bail granted to two individuals accused of sexually assaulting and publicly humiliating two Kuki women during the ethnic unrest in Manipur in 2023.
This incident occurred shortly after violent clashes erupted between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities on May 3, 2023.
A video that surfaced on July 19, 2023, depicting the two women being paraded naked by a mob in Kangpokpi district, gained widespread attention on social media. According to police reports, one of the women was gang-raped during this incident.
Legal Proceedings and Court Actions
In September, the Gauhati High Court granted bail to the two men allegedly involved in the incident, citing significant delays in the trial process, primarily attributed to the CBI's shortcomings.
The trial has commenced, with a special court in Guwahati framing criminal charges against six individuals, including the two who were released on bail.
On Tuesday, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh, issued a notice to the accused, requesting their response.
Serious Allegations Highlighted by CBI
The CBI emphasized the gravity of the allegations, stating, 'The accused had paraded women naked. This is a gross case. The women were gang-raped and then paraded,' as reported by legal news sources.
The assault occurred near B Phainom village in Kangpokpi. The Supreme Court had previously taken suo moto cognizance of the violence in the region, leading to the CBI's involvement in investigating several related cases.
Supreme Court Addresses Legal Aid Delays
In a separate session, the Supreme Court expressed its frustration regarding the delays in appointing legal aid for victims of sexual violence stemming from the ethnic conflict in Manipur.
The bench, which included Chief Justice Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, noted that previous directives had not been followed for over a month and insisted on immediate legal representation for the victims.
Chief Justice Kant questioned the lawyer representing the Manipur rehabilitation committee about the unfulfilled promises regarding legal aid.
Court Directives for Legal Support
On February 26, the Supreme Court mandated that complainants in 20 cases related to the ethnic violence receive copies of chargesheets and free legal assistance for proceedings in Guwahati.
In August 2023, the court ordered that trials for these cases be held in Assam, allowing parties to participate via video conferencing from Manipur.
The February ruling also highlighted that many complainants in Manipur were unaware of the chargesheet filings in Assam, directing both the Manipur and Assam State Legal Services Authorities to appoint a lawyer fluent in the local language for each complainant or their family.