Manipur violence: SC constitutes panel of three former ladies judges to supervise humanitarian measures

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday appointed a panel headed by former Maharashtra cadre IPS officer Dattatray Padsalgikar to supervise the probe into offences of rape in Manipur.

The apex court docket additionally constituted a panel of three ladies judges to supervise measures of aid, rehabilitation and rebuilding of homes and locations of worship in Manipur. The three judges who shall be a part of the panel are specifically, Justices Mittal, Shalini P Joshi and Asha Menon.

The court docket was listening to a batch of pleas regarding the continuing clashes in Manipur.

“Our effort is to restore a sense of confidence and faith in the rule of law. We will constitute at one level a committee of three former HC judges. This committee will be looking at things apart from the investigation including relief, rehabilitation of relief camps, remedial measure- remit will be a broad-based committee- who will be looking into diverse aspects of humanitarian nature,” Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud mentioned indicating {that a} detailed order can be uploaded later. 

Considering AG R Venkataramani’s proposal concerning the appointment of Special Investigation Teams (SITs) to probe into the FIRs which were registered from May to July, the CJI mentioned that the court docket would depute officers not under the rank of SPs from exterior the state to oversee the investigation. 

Pursuant to going through the apex court docket’s wrath on the final date of the listening to, AG R Venkataramani knowledgeable the court docket that SITs in districts can be constituted to probe FIRs. He mentioned that the identical shall be headed by Superintendent of Police degree officers who would monitor the probe weekly and fortnightly. 

Last week, the SC had sought DGP’s presence on August 7 at 2.00 PM saying that there was absolute breakdown of legislation and order and constitutional equipment within the state for 2 months from May until July.

Considering the “preliminary data” introduced earlier than it that solely seven arrests have been made in reference to 11 FIRs involving offences in opposition to ladies and kids, the CJI mentioned that the state police is incapable of investigating and has misplaced management of the state of affairs. He mentioned that the probe has been tardy and there was appreciable lapse between the prevalence of incident and the registration of FIR, recording of statements of witnesses and arrest of the accused. 

There is “such a long delay in registration of FIRs. It appears that except for 1 or 2 cases, there is no arrest at all. Look at the way the investigation is so lethargic. FIR registered after two months, arrest not made and statements not recorded. For two months the situation was not even conducive for recording FIRs. It gives us an impression that from the beginning of May till July there was no law and breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state. You are right that the police could not make arrest cause does this not point to the fact that there is a complete breakdown of law and order and machinery of the state,” a bench comprising Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra remarked.

Referring to the statements of two Kuki Zo ladies within the Manipur viral video case who “indicated” that they had been handed over to the mob by the police, CJI requested if the “DGP cared to find whether the police personnel were interrogated.”

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday appointed a panel headed by former Maharashtra cadre IPS officer Dattatray Padsalgikar to supervise the probe into offences of rape in Manipur.

The apex court docket additionally constituted a panel of three ladies judges to supervise measures of aid, rehabilitation and rebuilding of homes and locations of worship in Manipur. The three judges who shall be a part of the panel are specifically, Justices Mittal, Shalini P Joshi and Asha Menon.

The court docket was listening to a batch of pleas regarding the continuing clashes in Manipur.googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

“Our effort is to restore a sense of confidence and faith in the rule of law. We will constitute at one level a committee of three former HC judges. This committee will be looking at things apart from the investigation including relief, rehabilitation of relief camps, remedial measure- remit will be a broad-based committee- who will be looking into diverse aspects of humanitarian nature,” Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud mentioned indicating {that a} detailed order can be uploaded later. 

Considering AG R Venkataramani’s proposal concerning the appointment of Special Investigation Teams (SITs) to probe into the FIRs which were registered from May to July, the CJI mentioned that the court docket would depute officers not under the rank of SPs from exterior the state to oversee the investigation. 

Pursuant to going through the apex court docket’s wrath on the final date of the listening to, AG R Venkataramani knowledgeable the court docket that SITs in districts can be constituted to probe FIRs. He mentioned that the identical shall be headed by Superintendent of Police degree officers who would monitor the probe weekly and fortnightly. 

Last week, the SC had sought DGP’s presence on August 7 at 2.00 PM saying that there was absolute breakdown of legislation and order and constitutional equipment within the state for 2 months from May until July.

Considering the “preliminary data” introduced earlier than it that solely seven arrests have been made in reference to 11 FIRs involving offences in opposition to ladies and kids, the CJI mentioned that the state police is incapable of investigating and has misplaced management of the state of affairs. He mentioned that the probe has been tardy and there was appreciable lapse between the prevalence of incident and the registration of FIR, recording of statements of witnesses and arrest of the accused. 

There is “such a long delay in registration of FIRs. It appears that except for 1 or 2 cases, there is no arrest at all. Look at the way the investigation is so lethargic. FIR registered after two months, arrest not made and statements not recorded. For two months the situation was not even conducive for recording FIRs. It gives us an impression that from the beginning of May till July there was no law and breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state. You are right that the police could not make arrest cause does this not point to the fact that there is a complete breakdown of law and order and machinery of the state,” a bench comprising Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra remarked.

Referring to the statements of two Kuki Zo ladies within the Manipur viral video case who “indicated” that they had been handed over to the mob by the police, CJI requested if the “DGP cared to find whether the police personnel were interrogated.”