New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a woman by four men in Manipur’s Imphal West district on May 4. The CBI has been asked to take over the probe into the ay incident in Thoubal district of Manipur when three women were stripped naked and paraded, and one was raped.
The Center has filed an affidavit for the same in the Supreme Court on the eve of Supreme Court’s hearing on the case.
Hearing the case, the Supreme Court expressed its deep concern over the video of sexual assault. “the use of women as tools of violence is unacceptable in a constitutional democracy”, said the honorable court.
While the central government ensured the court that several teams have been deployed to various locations to arrest the suspects identified so far, it also requested the Supreme Court to pass an order directing the CBI to conclude the trail within a period of six months from date of filing the chargesheet.
The CBI’s decision to take over the case came after the Manipur government requested it to do so. The state government had earlier ordered a police investigation into the matter, but the police had been unable to make any arrests.
The CBI has registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rape, gang rape, and criminal intimidation. The agency has also constituted a team of officers to investigate the matter.
The alleged sexual assault took place on May 4 when the woman was walking home from work. She was allegedly abducted by four men, who took her to a secluded place and raped her. The men also allegedly threatened the woman not to report the incident to the police.
The woman eventually managed to escape and filed a complaint with the police. The police registered a case and launched an investigation, but they were unable to make any arrests.
The CBI’s decision to take over the investigation is a welcome step. The agency has a better track record of investigating sensitive cases such as this one. The CBI is also better equipped to handle the case, as it has a wider network of officers and resources.
The CBI’s investigation is expected to bring the perpetrators to justice and give the victim justice. The case has also highlighted the need for better security for women in Manipur. The state government must take steps to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.