New Delhi, July 20: Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal has written to the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Manipur after a distressing video of sexual violence against women in Manipur surfaced. In the video, a mob of men is taking two women away who are behaving very disrespectfully and inhumanely with them. They were paraded naked, molested, and then gang-raped.
The incident reportedly took place on May 4, 2023, but the nation learned about it only after videos of the women being paraded naked and molested surfaced. It is being told that an FIR was registered in this matter in May itself. However, the arrest of the accused has not been done yet.
DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal has requested the Prime Minister to immediately intervene in the matter and direct the local authorities to expedite the process of nabbing all the culprits of this heinous act and provide compensation to the victims and their families. Necessary protection and assistance should be provided immediately. He has also recommended strict action against the erring police officers who failed to act promptly in the matter.
Furthermore, she expressed surprise and dismay that neither the Union Minister for Women and Child Development nor the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women had visited Manipur to assess the seriousness of crimes against women and girls. She urged the Prime Minister to visit Manipur immediately to take stock of the situation and stand by the Manipuri women in their hour of need.
Swati Maliwal has also expressed her desire to visit Manipur to understand the ground reality and submit a fact-finding report to the government at the earliest, so that the state can reach out to more victims of sexual crimes and take steps to stop such atrocities. Immediate steps can be taken to increase the security of women and girls in the state.
