NHRC takes up Manipur abduction, gang-rape case, issues notice

In its statement, the NHRC said that it had taken cognisance of the May 4 incident in B. Phainom village of Kangpokpi district, where a mob of 1,000 Meitei people had abducted five members of a Kuki-Zo family while they were being escorted to safety by the Manipur Police.

Two and a half months after the ethnic conflict in Manipur began on May 3, the National Human Rights Commission of India issued its first public statement about human rights violations in the State on Thursday.

In its statement, the NHRC said that it had taken cognisance of the May 4 incident in B. Phainom village of Kangpokpi district, where a mob of 1,000 Meitei people had abducted five members of a Kuki-Zo family while they were being escorted to safety by the Manipur Police. The mob proceeded to kill two of the men who tried to protect the women. They then stripped, paraded and sexually assaulted the women in public, also gang-raping one of the women. A video of the incident went viral on Wednesday, prompting the police to act and arrest four accused within 24 hours.

Also Read | Manipur sexual violence video | Came to know of May 4 incident after video went viral: Manipur CM Biren Singh 

The Commission said that it had taken up the case based on “complaints” that sought its “urgent intervention”. In notices issued to the Manipur Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police, the NHRC has sought detailed action-taken reports within four weeks. 

“The Commission would also like to know about the steps taken/proposed to be taken to safeguard the human rights of the citizens, especially women and vulnerable sections of the society from such barbaric incidents,” it added.

Since May 3, the NHRC has issued a total of 35 press releases and has posted on Twitter almost every day. Its chairperson, Justice (Retd.) Arun Mishra, has addressed at least three public events, including one at the United Nations in New York. None of these statements or speeches has mentioned the violence in Manipur or the human rights violations being reported in the State. 

Neither the NHRC nor its chairperson publicly mentioned the Manipur violence or any action taken on the issue until the July 20 statement. However, over the last two and a half months, the Commission has, in public statements and social media posts, highlighted action it had taken with respect to allegations of human rights violations in States such as West Bengal, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra; suicides in prisons; lack of internal complaints committees in sports federations; and increase in online circulation of Child Sexual Abuse Material.