The Supreme Court on Tuesday slammed the investigation carried out by the Manipur Police in relation to the ethnic violence and said that there is “absolute breakdown of law and order and machinery of the state”.

The court questioned why only seven arrests have been made so far despite registering 6,000 FIRs, the Live Law reported.

“This, in turn, has led to an erosion of public trust in the efficacy of the legal system and raised questions about the functioning of the constitutional machinery,” Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud said.

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The apex court has directed the Manipur Director General of Police (DGP) to be personally present in the court on Monday, August 7, at 2 pm.

The CJI pointed out that the probe had been remarkably “lethargic”, with little to no headway made in terms of arrests or concrete results. Furthermore, he highlighted the concerning trend of recording statements only after a considerable lapse of time, casting doubts on the credibility of the evidence gathered.

“The state police is incapable of investigation, they have lost control. There’s absolutely no law and order. If law and order machinery cannot protect people, what happens to citizens?” the Supreme Court asked.

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During the hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the state, told the Supreme Court that the Manipur government lodged 6,523 FIRs after ethnic violence erupted. He further said that it seemed police recorded women’s statements after a video of them paraded naked surfaced.

The solicitor general also informed the apex court that the state police have so far arrested seven people including a juvenile in the viral video case.