The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it does not trust the Manipur government, and expressed concern about a case in which an undertrial prisoner was not taken for medical examination because he belonged to the Kuki community, reported Bar and Bench.
Citing a bail order by the Manipur High Court, a vacation bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan said that the man was not taken out for medical examination because he was from the “Kuki community and that shifting him to hospital will be hazardous taking into account law and order situation.”
Manipur reported ethnic violence between the Meitei and the Kuki communities in May last year. The violence has left at least 225 persons dead and displaced 60,000 people from their homes since the beginning of the clashes.
On Wednesday, the top court noted that the accused, whose trial was yet to start, was likely suffering from piles and tuberculosis. He had also complained to jail officials about extreme backache.
The Supreme Court observed that on November 22, a medical officer examined and noticed tenderness in the man’s lower spine and recommended an X-ray. However, the medical facility was not available in Manipur Central Jail, where he is lodged.
“Sorry counsel, we do not trust the state [of Manipur],” the court said. “We do not. The accused was not taken to hospital because he is from the Kuki community? So sad. We direct him to be examined now. If the medical report reveals something serious, we will take you to task. Remember that.”
The bench also said in its order that it could have made observations about the approach of the Manipur government as well as the High Court, but was refraining from doing so, reported Live Law.
The court directed the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state to immediately take the accused to Gauhati Medical College in Assam and get him examined, reported Live Law. The bench also ordered the officials to obtain detailed medical reports of the accused and place them before the court on or before July 15.
The state will pay for the medical expenses of the accused, the court said.
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