Absolute breakdown of constitutional machinery: Supreme Court on Manipur violence

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (August 1) has delivered scathing remarks directed at the Manipur government concerning the ongoing violence in the state. Today, the court declared that there has been an absolute breakdown of constitutional machinery in Manipur for the past two months.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, who is leading the bench, criticized the investigation process, labeling it as "lethargic." He highlighted the delayed registration of FIRs and recording of statements as concerning factors contributing to the current situation in the state.

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During this afternoon's hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta presented crucial information to the court regarding the violence in Manipur. He revealed that a total of 6,523 FIRs related to the violence have been registered, out of which 11 pertain to crimes against women and children. This data was part of a status report submitted to the court.

Mehta further informed the court that seven individuals, including a juvenile, have been arrested in connection with the shocking incident captured in a video, where women were paraded naked and allegedly gang-raped. However, CJI DY Chandrachud sought details about another incident involving the gang-rape and murder of two women.

Prefacing his response with a disclaimer acknowledging the overnight examination of over 6,000 FIRs, Mehta cautioned that there might be some errors in the data. He revealed that a Zero FIR was registered on May 15 and later converted into a regular FIR on June 16. When asked about arrests related to this case, the Solicitor General stated that he did not have the information at the moment.

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