'Cannot Justify What Happened by Citing Other Incidents': SC on Manipur Video

This was in response to a plea to consider cases from other places where women were also mistreated by mobs.

While addressing the issue of sexual violence against the two women in the horrific Manipur video, the Supreme Court remarked on Monday, 31 July, that similar incidents in other states cannot be used to justify or compare the gravity of the situation.

The plea: The bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was hearing multiple pleas related to the outbreak of violence in Manipur, including the one filed by two Kuki women who were subjected to naked parading and molestation by a mob of men.

The origin: Amid this, Advocate Bansuri Swaraj filed a plea to consider cases from West Bengal and Chhattisgarh where women were also mistreated by mobs.

In the Courtroom: "We are dealing with something on unprecedented magnitude of violence against women in communal and sectarian violence. It cannot be gainsaid that crimes are happening against woman and in Bengal also. But here the case is different. We cannot justify what happened in Manipur by saying that this and this happened elsewhere," CJI Chandrachud said, according to Bar and Bench.

Here's everything that the top court said on Manipur:

What next? While the petitioners had sought an SIT probe into the sexual violence against them, the court did not immediately pass an order.

"We need objective assistance. One thing we can do is to have a committee of woman judges and domain experts or to have a committee of woman and male judges. If we are not satisfied with what has been done so far that will define the extent of our intervention," the Court said, according to Bar and Bench.

The top court said that it will wait for answers from the state and take it up tomorrow (1 August).

Previously: The top court had taken suo motu cognisance of a disturbing video that emerged online, showing two Manipuri women from the Kuki tribe being paraded naked and molested. CJI DY had Chandrachud expressed deep concern over the incident and assured that the court would intervene if the government failed to act.

Meanwhile, the centre on 27 July had told the top court that the CBI would be probing the case and requested that the trial be shifted outside Manipur.

(With inputs from Bar and Bench, NDTV)