SC TAKES SUO MOTU COGNISANCE OF MANIPUR VIDEO
Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud summoned Attorney General R. Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on July 19 to convey that the court was “deeply disturbed” by a video showing two women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted in strife-ridden Manipur. The Chief Justice, speaking for the court, gave the Centre and Manipur government an ultimatum to either bring the perpetrators to book or step aside for the judiciary to take action. “Using women as instruments of perpetrating violence in a charged atmosphere is simply unacceptable in a constitutional democracy,” the court emphasised in its order. Taking suo motu cognisance of the video, the court said that the visuals indicate “the grossest of constitutional and human rights violations… We are expressing our deep concern… We will give the government a little time to take action or we will take action”. The bench helmed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud comprised Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra. The court posted the case for its next hearing on July 28.
MANIPUR SEXUAL ASSAULT SHOCKING, SHAMEFUL: RAHAMATHUNNISSA
Calling the imagery of women being paraded naked and gang-raped in Manipur, utterly shocking, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s (JIH), Secretary Mrs. Rahamathunnissa has lamented that it put the head of every Indian down in shame. In social media post on July 20, terming it as a bestial act and against the basic tenets of humanity, she said the incident once again had exposed the horrifying anti-women mindset of the communal rioters. Demanding severe immediate action against the culprits without any consideration, Mrs. Rahamathunnissa called on the government to act immediately to stop violence in Manipur.
10 BJP MLAS SUSPENDED FROM K’TAKA ASSEMBLY FOR INDISCIPLINE
Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader on July 19 suspended 10 BJP MLAs for ‘indiscipline’, after the legislators tore copies of the Bills passed in the House and threw them at Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani. Chaotic scenes were witnessed in the lower house of the state legislature as marshals removed the suspended legislators, including four former ministers – R. Ashok, Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan, AragaJnanendra and V Sunil Kumar. Other MLAs suspended till the end of the budget session on July 21 are: Arvind Bellad, Bharat Shetty, Yashpal Suvarna, UmanathKotyan, Vedavyasa Kamath and Dheeraj Muniraju. Khader put the suspension under rule 348 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business for vote, which was passed.
SC GRANTS BAIL TO TEESTA SETALVAD, SLAMS GUJARAT HC’S REFUSAL
Making scathing observations on the Gujarat High Court’s order, the Supreme Court on July 19 granted regular bail to Teesta Setalvad, in the Gujarat police’s case alleging that the activist had fabricated evidence in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Earlier this month, Setalvad had been asked to “surrender immediately” by the Gujarat High Court, which also rejected her bail plea. The Supreme Court’s interim bail to her had protected her from arrest until then. The Supreme Court’s bench of Justices B.R. Gavai, A.S. Bopanna, and Dipankar Datta said that this order was “perverse”. “We are at pains to say that the order passed by the learned judge makes an interesting reading,” the bench said, according to LiveLaw.