Supreme Court Proposes Special Courts for Manipur Ethnic Violence Cases

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday proposed setting up special courts to conduct day-to-day trials in criminal cases arising from the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur, while directing investigating agencies to expedite pending probes and ensure victims receive copies of chargesheets without delay. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana noted that many victims and their families were yet to receive copies of chargesheets filed by the CBI and the Manipur Special Investigation Team (SIT). The court allowed legal aid counsel representing the victims to approach the offices of the Chief Justices of the Gauhati high court and the Manipur high court to obtain copies of the chargesheets.

Gives directions to CBI, SIT

The Bench also asked additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, the CBI, the SIT and the Manipur government, to furnish details of cases where investigations have been completed and chargesheets filed, as well as cases where the probe is still pending. The information, the court said, would help determine how many special courts are required to conduct speedy trials in the violence-related cases. The Supreme Court further directed the Manipur High Court to examine cases relating to 30 persons who have remained missing since the ethnic clashes began. It also asked the CBI, the state SIT and the court-appointed monitoring committee headed by former Maharashtra DGP Dattatray Padsalgikar to file fresh status reports on the progress of investigations. More than 200 people have been killed, hundreds injured and thousands displaced since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, following a 'Tribal Solidarity March' organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.