Supreme Court refuses to hear plea on sexual violence in Opposition-ruled states

New Delhi, July 31

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a plea for probe into alleged incidents of sexual violence against women in Opposition-ruled states such as West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Kerala, saying the violence perpetrated against women in Manipur was of “unprecedented magnitude”.

During the hearing on petitions seeking an independent probe into the ethnic violence in Manipur, advocate Bansuri Swaraj highlighted incidents of violence against women in West Bengal and other Opposition-ruled states and said the mechanism sought to be evolved in Manipur’s case should also be made applicable in other states.

“The daughters of India need to be protected… After the horrific incident (of two women paraded naked) of May came to light in Manipur, identical incidents took place in Bengal and Chhattisgarh,” Swaraj told a Bench, led by CJI DY Chandrachud, adding no FIR had been registered in these cases. “Are you saying protect all daughters of India or don’t protect anyone,” the CJI asked Swaraj, who said she wanted the court to protect all daughters of India.