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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Manipur police head to be personally persent before it on August 7 chief to provide details of actions taken in over 6,000 FIRs in the state affected by the ethnic violence for about three months.
A bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra termed the investigation "lethargic and tardy", finding complete breakdown of law and order machinery in the state for the three months.
"It seems from the beginning of May till end of July, there was no constitutional machinery, no law and order in state of Manipur," the bench orally remarked.
As a counsel sought to indicate foreign hands behind the conflagration, the bench said, "People who were killed and raped were our own people".
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the state government and provided details of actions taken in 6532 FIRs, reminded the bench, "Your words may have consequences, it could be used or misused in ways that were not intended."
Mehta proposed to transfer 11 FIRs related to offences against women to the CBI.
He also said seven arrests were made in respect of the viral video incident and 250 arrests have been made in other cases and 12000 arrests as preventive measures.
During the hearing the bench proposed to set up a committee of former judges, and decide its remit including determination of compensation, saying the pre investigation process and recording of statements have to be fair.
The court, referring to the statement of women survivors of the viral video, the bench asked Mehta if any arrest has been made of the policemen, who allegedly handed over by the victims to the mob.
"Did the DGP care to find out in all these months? What has he done? It is his duty, did they interrogate the police officers?
The court asked the state government to carry out the exercise of segregation of FIRs of murder, rape, arson, destruction of places of worship etc.
It also sought to know the efforts of the bodies kept in morgue.
