Manipur violence: 'Zero FIRs' mount as state-wide unrest continues
While widespread ethnic violence continues to wreak havoc across Manipur, hundreds of "Zero FIRs" are being filed in police stations almost daily in the state. According to the news outlet The Indian Express, sources in the know have flagged the stalled probes in these cases as one of the key challenges the state police is facing currently.
Why does this story matter?
Since a May 3 protest against the majority Meitei community's demands for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, over 160 individuals have allegedly been killed. Meiteis (53% of Manipur's population) claim they face difficulty due to large-scale illegal Myanmarese and Bangladeshi immigrants and they aren't allowed to settle in the state's hilly areas. Meanwhile, tribal Nagas and Kukis—approximately 40% of the population—are concerned about their prospects.
All you need to know about Zero FIR
When a police station receives a complaint regarding an alleged offense committed under the jurisdiction of another police station, it files an FIR and transfers it to the relevant police station for further probe. This is called "Zero FIR," and no regular FIR number is provided here. Upon receiving the Zero FIR, the relevant police station files a fresh FIR and launches a probe.
Challenges faced by police in probing Zero FIR cases
On the challenge of investigating cases of Zero FIRs, a senior official stated, "Because of the situation, even police personnel from one community cannot go to another community's area. So they cannot go to the complainant." "The only way the concerned IO (investigating officer) of a transferred case can be in touch with the victim is by calling them over the phone," they added.
Manipur Police's other major challenge
However, the broader issue, according to the aforementioned official, is that the Manipur Police has yet to begin probing the more than 6,000 FIRs. Since cops and other security personnel failed to contain the situation early on, the state police are still "fire-fighting" — "handling crowds, arson, marches, rallies, gunfights, giving protection for farming."
Most Zero FIRs from Kuki-dominated areas: Official
Another senior officer revealed that all Zero FIR cases had been transferred to the relevant police stations. "These are mostly in cases where there has been violence in Kuki-dominated areas, but since it's a border area, they come under the jurisdiction of a valley police station," the officer said. "Because Kukis can't go to the valley, they have registered zero FIRs here instead."
Recent outrage over video of women paraded naked
Last Wednesday, a clip emerged online showing an enraged mob groping and parading two naked women in Manipur. Reports also alleged that the two women were later gang-raped as well. As per the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), the shocking incident happened in the Kangpokpi district on May 4 and sparked massive nationwide outrage among the public, politicians, and celebrities.
