Manipur Violence: CBI To Take Over Probe Of 9 More Cases, Total Now At 17

Officials with the knowledge of the development said the probe by the central agency would not be limited till 17 cases.

CBI will take over nine more cases of Manipur violence taking total to 17/Representational Image

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The Central Bureau of Investigation will take over nine more cases related to Manipur violence, which will take the total number of cases to 17, said the officials, reported PTI on Sunday. Officials with the knowledge of the development said the probe by the central agency would not be limited till 17 cases, as per the report, adding any other case related to crime against women or sexual assault may also be referred to it on priority. 

So far, eight cases have been registered with the federal probe agency — including two related to alleged sexual assault on women in Manipur — and is in the process to take over nine more, as per the report. 

According to the officials, the CBI will take one more case of alleged sexual assault in the state’s Churachandpur district, the report stated. 

The probe agency is facing the critical task of avoiding allegations of bias during the Manipur operation as the state remains divided on ethnic lines, said the officials who fear involvement of people from one community will result in fingers pointed from the other side. 

Several cases that the CBI is probing may attract provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, which can be probed by a deputy superintendent of police rank officer, the report stated quoting sources. 

Since the deputy SPs cannot be supervisory officers in such cases, the agency will mobilise its superintendents of police to supervise and monitor the investigations, they said.

The northeastern state has been in the grip of ethnic violence since May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts opposing the demand by Meiteis to be included in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list. Over 160 people have been killed so far in the clashes.