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The Supreme Court has sought the response of the Manipur State Legal Authority on appointing a legal aid counsel for the two women allegedly paraded naked amid the 2023 ethnic clashes in the state.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued a notice to the Manipur State Legal Service Authority while hearing a plea of CBI against the grant of bail by the Gauhati High Court to the two accused, Arun Khundongbam and Nameirakpam Kiran Meitei, who allegedly gangraped and paraded the victims naked.
“While the accusations here are grave and shocking, this court cannot overlook that indefinite detention without trial amounts to pretrial punishment, which is impermissible in law,” the Gauhati High Court had said in its order.
During the hearing, the counsel for the CBI sought the cancellation of bail due to grave allegations of sexual violence.
“The accused had paraded the women naked. This is a gross case. The women were gangraped and then paraded,” he said.
Advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for the victims, said, “On February 26, this court said legal aid counsel will be appointed for victims. They have not been appointed yet.”
