MANIPUR cops have been accused of handing over two women to a large armed mob before they were paraded down the street naked in a sickening video.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court noted that the police had allegedly given the young victims to scores of men who later sexually assaulted them.
The Supreme Court slammed the Manipur government and Indian state police, asking what action had been taken against the cops and if they had been interrogated after the women made their claims.
"For two months there has been a total breakdown of law and order in Manipur, there is no law and order left," the court said.
"Police have no control over the situation, looks like for two months police had made no arrests, and had not recorded statements.
"Two women said that they were handed over to the mob by police, has any action been taken against the police?" they added.
The Supreme Court also asked the Manipur Director General of Police to remain in court at 2pm on Friday and be in a position to give an answer.
The harrowing video of the alleged attacks by hundreds of young men on the two women has triggered outrage and protests across the violence-stricken state of Manipur.
Police stated that the assaults occurred on May 4, with the footage only going viral last month.
It shows two naked women being surrounded by a large group of men - alleged to be nearly 1000 - who groped them and dragged them to a field.
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A police complaint alleges one woman was gang raped and two other male family members were killed before the rioting mob went on to burn down their village.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) condemned the attack on the woman as “sickening” and alleged that one woman was gang raped.
Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident had "shamed India" and that "no guilty will be spared".
"I assure the nation, the law will take its course with all its might.
"What happened with the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven," he said, breaking more than two months of silence over deadly ethnic clashes in India's northeast.
Modi is now expected to make a statement in both of India's Houses of Parliament over the Manipur viral video case on August 10.
According to a police report filed on May 18, the two women were part of a family attacked by a mob of between 800-1000 men.
The family were said to be fleeing the attack on their village through the forest when they met local police who said they would take them to safety.
The compliant claims that they were: “blocked on the way by a mob and snatched from the custody of the police team".
A 56-year-old was said to have been killed on the spot as his three female family members were forced to strip.
A 21-year-old woman in the group was reportedly "brutally gang raped in broad daylight".
Her “younger brother tried to defend his sister’s modesty and life but he was murdered by members of the mob on the spot,” it adds.
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Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh said that arrests had been made, without specifying the number of people who were apprehended.
"A thorough investigation is currently underway and we will ensure strict action is taken against all the perpetrators, including considering the possibility of capital punishment," Singh said.