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Synopsis

The Supreme Court today asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to stop recording the statement of the victims of sexual violence in the northeast state of Manipur.

Advocate Nizam Pasha today mentioned the issue before a CJI DY Chandrachud led bench and said, "I am requesting that this may be stopped for the moment as this court is already slated to hear the matter today at 2 PM...The victims should not be asked to repeat their experience again and again..".

Pasha added that SG Tushar Mehta was present before Court.

The bench also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra thus directed, "Mr. Solicitor, they can be asked to wait..".

Agreeing with the bench's order, SG Mehta submitted, "I have no information regarding this.. they must be doing it in good faith, I will ask them to stop for time being..they must have started, otherwise Mr. Sibal will say that we are not doing anything..".

Notably, the Supreme Court had observed yesterday that merely handing over the probe into the incident of sexual assault and violence on two women in violence-hit Manipur, to the CBI was not enough. 

"Merely giving it to the CBI cannot be enough.. we have to set out modalities.. who is going to record a statement under section 164 CrPC..what about a woman who has lost her family..justice has to come to her doorstep..", the CJI Chandrachud had observed.

 

The bench also comprising of Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra added that it could identify and constitute a committee, consisting of women ex-judges and some members from society to help with the situation in Manipur.

"..we have to rebuild lives now..so what better way than having some objective assistance of a court trusted committee..not just the state government..we have to instill confidence now in the people", the court observed.

The Union government had last week informed the Supreme Court that the "unfortunate and unacceptable" incident of sexual assault and violence on two women in violence-hit Manipur, has been transferred to the CBI.

It had also requested the apex court to transfer the trial in the case outside Manipur with a direction that the trial should be conducted in a time bound manner within six months after the filing of the chargesheet.