SC questions Manipur govt, Centre’s silence over rape allegations involving minor

Source – hindustantimes.com

The Supreme Court pulled up the defence ministry and Manipur government for their alleged inaction in a case involving a 15-year-old girl, who committed suicide after allegedly being raped by army personnel in October 2003.

A bench headed by justice MB Lokur was hearing the petition related to extra-judicial killings in Manipur. Incidents where army personnel were involved are being taken up by the top court to determine which agency should probe the allegations against them.

The Centre has opposed such an inquiry, saying there should be no judicial interference in the functioning of the army.

The details read out before the court dealt with the suicide case of a teenage girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted. A judicial commission of inquiry indicted the army men, a finding upheld by the state high court.

“The girl was definitely subjected to rape, medical reports confirm that. Did you close the case because you didn’t get any help from army? Is it your helplessness or a tacit understanding with army to not to proceed?” the bench said, asking the counsel for the state.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said the case at hand was not that of extra-judicial killing. At this, the court told him: “Mr Attorney, you have two alleged rapists in your force.”

It asked him to produce detailed court of enquiry reports to substantiate what procedures had been followed, and whether any attempt was made to identify the rapists of the minor girl.

Advocate Menaka Guruswamy, who is assisting the court in the matter, gave details of two cases where the commission of inquiry found army men guilty of rape. In one case the victim was murdered, while in the second the 15-year-old committed suicide.

Indicating it might order a CBI probe into the two incidents, the court asked for names of senior agency officers who could be entrusted with the task.

According to Guruswamy, there are around 10 cases involving the armed forces personnel.