New Delhi:The Supreme Court Thursday took suo moto cognisance of the viral videos on violence on women in Manipur. The Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said it is deeply disturbing and if the government fails to take action, then it will have to step-in, while criticizing a sordid video, which has emerged from the northeastern state wherein 2 women are seen paraded naked while the perpetrators were sexually assaulting them.
The Chief Justice said it is simply unacceptable in constitutional democracy and directed the authorities to take immediate steps and apprise the court on what actions have been taken. “This is simply unacceptable, using women as an instrument in an area of communal strife, deeply disturbing and simply unacceptable to the court….it is grossest of human rights violation…give a little time to the government to act otherwise we will take action….the video which appeared yesterday is of May that makes no difference, it does not have to be a video of yesterday”, said the CJI, adding that it is very, very deeply disturbing.
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The Chief Justice asked Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta present in the courtroom, what action has been taken since May to bring perpetrators to book, and what action the government has taken so that this is not repeated. “How we know, it may be isolated or not isolated, it may be a pattern. Across history, across the world, the use of women to perpetrate violence…..this in a constitutional democracy is not acceptable”, the Chief Justice remarked.
The Chief Justice said the court will take up this matter along with the petitions connected with the ethnic violence in Manipur. “The court is deeply disturbed by the visuals which have appeared in the media since yesterday about the perpetration of sexual assault and violence on women in Manipur. We are of the view that the court must be apprised of steps which have been taken by the government to hold the perpetrators accountable and also to ensure such incidents are not repeated”, said the apex court in its order.
The top court stressed that using women as an instrument of perpetrating violence in a charged atmosphere is simply not acceptable in a constitutional democracy. “We direct the Union and state government to take immediate steps and apprise the court what action has been taken,” it said.
Mehta said the government shares the court's concern and this is completely unacceptable. The top court has scheduled the matter for a hearing next Friday.
