New Delhi: The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) on Friday, July 21 passed a resolution, condemning the sexual violence inflicted on the women, seen in viral videos, during the May 4 riot in Manipur.

“Our collective heads hang in shame against this grossest of human rights violation. Such incidences not only reflect the failure of the state machinery in protecting the basic human rights of the citizens but also it is (sic) the failure of the administration in controlling the riots in the state,” the Association said in a statement.

It also objected to the first information reports (FIRs) being filed against the advocates and activists who are trying to help the victims and their families.

“SCAORA also expresses its strong objection to any illegal FIRs being registered and arrests being made by the police against the advocates and activists who are endeavouring to help the riot-struck victims and families,” it said.

Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association passes resolution regarding #Manipur sexual violence video.#SupremeCourtOfIndia pic.twitter.com/MNf1a9cd4V

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) July 21, 2023

The Association also highlighted the remarks made by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud on the sexual violence during the riot in Manipur.

“Using women as instruments of perpetrating violence in a charged atmosphere is simply unacceptable in a constitutional democracy,” a three-judge bench headed by CJI Chandrachud said.

The Chief Justice also gave an ultimatum to the Union government and the Manipur government to either book the perpetrators, or step aside for the judiciary to step in.

The court was addressing Attorney General R. Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

Separately, the Supreme Court Bar Association has also passed a resolution, condemning the May 4 incident, and saying that the gender-based violence and humiliation has far-reaching consequences on the victims’ physical and psychological well-being

It condemned the inaction of the state police in holding the perpetrators to account.

“Such incidents in Manipur which have been taking place since have not only brought suffering among the people of Manipur but also have led to loss of several lives. The Executive Committee expresses its deep concern over the incidents which have tarnished the humanitarian ethics to its core. We categorically condemn the gender-based violence and humiliation as it has far-reaching consequences on the victims’ physical and psychological well-being,” it said.

“[We] condemn the inaction of the state police in bringing the culprits to book for a long period of two months and their inability to generally tackle the debilitating violence in the State of Manipur,”the apex court body said in a statement.

The SCBA has also urged the state and central governments to “immediately take action to punish the perpetrators and prevent other acts of violence in the state which are still continuing”, LiveLaw reported.

It also urged citizens to remain calm and respect one another’s rights and freedoms to maintain peace in the state “so that no such gruesome incident could be further reported”.

Also read: Narendra Modi Talked About the Manipur Violence. But Did He Really?

A video that showed two Kuki women being paraded naked by a mob, with several men, apparently Meiteis, walking alongside the two women as they are led into some fields, appeared on social media earlier this week. The video shows at least some of the men groping the women.

Although the incident happened on May 4, a day after violence began in Manipur, the video emerged only recently.

After the video emerged on social media, several leaders from across the country expressed outrage over the brutality and the impunity with which the women were assaulted and their video made.

In a shocking development, the National Commission for Women had been sent a complaint on June 12, which was, according to Newslaundry, left unacknowledged.

The complaint, per the news outlet, also alleged that a 15-year-old girl had been kidnapped and a medical examination report ‘confirmed assault and rape’.

Meanwhile, all Ten Kuki-Zomi MLAs of the Manipur legislative assembly – seven of whom belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party – expressed their deep condemnation of the heinous incident, saying that it has “shocked the conscience of Indians”.

The MLAs, in their joint statement, pointed out that there were more rape cases during the violence in Manipur. They also spoke about other incidents of violence such as the beheading of a Kuki youth, David Thiek, allegedly by the security guard of a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA.