Manipur status report on crimes shows there was a complete breakdown of constitutional machinery from May to July-end: Supreme Court

Supreme Court said the Manipur Govt' ’status report on 6,523 FIRs registered point to a “complete breakdown of the constitutional machinery” in the State during the ethnic violence

The Supreme Court on August 1 said the Manipur Government’s status report on 6,523 FIRs registered point to a “complete breakdown of the constitutional machinery” in the State from the beginning of May till the end of July during the ethnic violence.

“This shows that from the beginning of May till the end of July, there seems to be a complete breakdown of constitutional machinery. There was no law in the State… a complete breakdown of law and order. If law and order cannot protect citizens, where are we left?” Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, heading a three-judge Bench, asked the Manipur Government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

The Supreme Court directed the Manipur Director General of Police to be personally present in the Court on August 7 at 2 p.m. The Court said the State police chief should be in a position to answer the questions of the court.

In its order, the Court said, on prima facie analysis, the police investigation into the cases was “tardy”. There was a “considerable lapse of time” between the occurrence of the incidents and the FIRs registered, recording of the witnesses. It said the arrests were made “few and far between”.

Mr. Mehta surmised that the police may have been restricted as the situation in the State on the ground was not “conducive”.

“From May 4 to July 27, the picture is clear that the police were not in charge… Was the situation so not conducive that even FIRs could not be registered? Except for one or two cases there are no arrests at all. The investigation was so lethargic… FIRs were registered in many cases after only two months. Statements were not recorded…” Chief Justice Chandrachud observed.

The Court asked how over 6,000 cases could be single-handedly probed by the CBI. The Chief Justice said the burden of probing so many cases may leave the CBI itself “dysfunctional”.