A ‘zero FIR’ was filed at Manipur’s Kangpokpi police station on May 18, a fortnight after two tribal women were paraded naked – a video of which has gone viral – and one of them was allegedly gangraped.
The location of the incident in Thoubal district is 67 km from where the complaint was lodged, but a ‘zero FIR’ can be registered irrespective of jurisdiction and area of occurrence. The complaint was then forwarded to the police station in Thoubal.
How did the ‘zero FIR’ come into existence?
Days after the bone-chilling Delhi gangrape case, or the Nirbhaya case, the Manmohan Singh-led government in December 2012 formed a three-member committee under retired judge Justice JS Verma. It was to recommend amendments to criminal law for fast-tracking trials and enhanced punishment in extreme cases of sexual assault against women.
The panel submitted its report in 30 days, which was placed before then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in January 2013. Following the recommendations, the central government introduced the concept of ‘zero FIR’ to do away with complications related to determining jurisdiction of the crime.
What does a ‘zero FIR’ mean?
A ‘zero FIR’, or an FIR without a number, can be filed by the victim or the victim’s family members at any police station across India. The FIR is then forwarded to the police station concerned. According to the committee report, a sexual assault case should have a speedy investigation and trial.
In case of conflict areas, specifically where the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is imposed, the committee recommended that the need to sanction the prosecution of armed forces personnel should be specifically excluded in case a sexual offence is alleged. It added that complainants and victims should be given special witness protection.
According to the latest developments in the sexual assault case in Manipur, four people, including the main accused, who were part of the mob, were arrested on Thursday. The video of the incident was allegedly filmed on May 4, a day after ethnic violence erupted in the state following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for scheduled tribe status.
There was tension in the violence-hit state after the video emerged on Wednesday. It showed two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a mob from the other side. They were also allegedly sexually assaulted before being released by the mob.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh expressed “shock” over the incident and called it “a crime against humanity”. “We will make all efforts to get capital punishment for all the accused,” he said, adding, “the hunt for the culprits started immediately after seeing the video”.
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