Manipur High Court has directed the Manipur State Commission (MSCW) for Women not to proceed further in connection with the Complaint Case pending before it without first considering the two miscellaneous applications filed by the six individuals earlier.
According to Rajib Deb, General Secretary of Devalaya Committee, the MSCW had taken up a case pursuant to the complaint made by one woman stating inter alia that on September 27 at around 5 pm at her residence at Thangal Bazar, six individuals used certain derogatory words and verbally and physically abused her as she was five months pregnant lady.
She along with her family members went to the City Police Station, however, no necessary action was taken by the police against the said individuals, the release said.
The commission, after perusal of the said Complaint, registered a case being Complaint Case No. 40 of 2023 against the six individuals including the President and General Secretary of Devalaya Committee, arbitrarily without waiting for the detailed report from the Superintendent of Police, Imphal West District, which had been called by the commission on September 29 and on October 9, the commission issued summons for the appearance of the said six individuals on October 13, Rajib Deb said.
The committee stated that on October 13, the said six individuals filed a Miscellaneous Application to the commission through their counsels for dismissing the Complainant Petition as premature and defective. At the same time, the said six individuals, through their counsels, submitted another miscellaneous application for dispensing their appearance before the commission.
When the matter was taken up for consideration, the commission was apprised by their counsel about the two miscellaneous applications preferred and urged them to consider the same. However, the chairperson and members of the commission refused to consider the two miscellaneous applications arbitrarily, the committee said.
Further, the commission refused to furnish a copy of the order dated October 13, and at the same time, the commission prevented their counsel from taking note of the order passed and fixed October 19 to be the date for the appearance of the petitioners, the general secretary of the committee said in the release.
Being aggrieved with the commission’s proceedings, the said six individuals approached the High Court of Manipur at Imphal and on October 18 wherein the HC considered the matter and directed the commission not to proceed further in connection with the Complaint Case pending before it without first considering the two miscellaneous applications filed by the six individuals earlier, the committee said.
The Manipur High Court has fixed the matter for November 24, 2023, the committee said.
