The Supreme Court on Friday proposed establishing dedicated special courts to conduct day-to-day trials in criminal cases connected to the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence, while directing investigative agencies to speed up their remaining inquiries.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana issued the directions while hearing a series of petitions concerning the state’s unrest. Addressing concerns that many victims and their families have not yet obtained chargesheets filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Manipur Special Investigation Team (SIT), the bench permitted legal aid counsel to contact the offices of the Chief Justices of the Manipur and Gauhati High Courts. Investigative authorities must deliver copies of the chargesheets to the lawyers within one week.
Data Requested On Completed Inquiries
To determine the number of special courts required for fast-track trials, the apex court instructed Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati—representing the central and state probe agencies—to gather details on cases where investigations are finished and chargesheets filed, as well as those where probes remain incomplete.
Directives On Missing Persons And Progress Reports
The court also tasked the Manipur High Court with reviewing cases involving 30 individuals who went missing following the outbreak of violence. Furthermore, fresh status reports were requested from the CBI, the state SIT, and the court-appointed monitoring committee led by former Maharashtra Director General of Police Dattatray Padsalgikar.
Background Of The Conflict
The judicial intervention stems from widespread ethnic clashes that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, following a Tribal Solidarity March organized in the hill districts against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The violence has claimed more than 200 lives, left hundreds injured, and displaced thousands of people.
