Supreme Court Asks CBI Not To Interact With Sexual Violence Victims In Manipur Till Today's 2 PM Hearing

The Supreme Court today, upon urgent mentioning by Advocate Nizam Pasha, intervened in the ongoing investigation into the Manipur violence and told the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ask the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to temporarily suspend its interaction with the victims of sexual violence in Manipur.

The Bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra was informed by Advocate Pasha that the CBI is coming to take the statements of women victims. Pasha raised his concerns over the CBI's approach.

CJI DY Chandrachud then remarked that the CBI should hold its hands since the hearing of the pleas related to Manipur violence is scheduled at 2 pm today. Solicitor General Mehta concurred and informed the Court that he wasn't aware of the development. "I am not aware of this, I will ask them to hold it," said SG Mehta. 

SG Mehta further said, "If we had not done anything then today, Mr. Sibal would have accused us of inaction".

Yesterday, the Court expressed its opinion that it will constitute a Committee of retired women judges and subject experts to record statements of victims of sexual violence in Manipur. The CJI said during the hearing that justice should reach out to the victims in Manipur, after it was argued that the women victims may not speak freely to investigating officers until they are given confidence. 

On July 20, 2023, the Chief Justice-led Bench had taken suo motu cognizance of the incident of the two women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted, captured in a viral video shared across media platforms. The Court had remarked that "It is time that the Government really steps in and takes action because this is simply unacceptable" and had directed both the Union Government and the State Government to take immediate steps and to apprise the Court of what action has been taken.