The Supreme Court of India has ordered a forensic investigation into audio clips that purportedly implicate Manipur’s Chief Minister Biren Singh in recent ethnic violence. The court has given the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) six weeks to submit a report on the matter. The plea, brought forward by the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) and represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, calls for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to be monitored by the court.
The case, scheduled for review on March 24, is presided over by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar. Justice Kumar, having previously served as the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court, disclosed a prior social interaction with CM Singh and offered to recuse himself if parties saw a conflict of interest. Bhushan, however, did not raise objections to Justice Kumar’s participation in the hearing.
During the proceedings, the Chief Justice remarked on the state’s gradual return to normalcy, suggesting a tentative approach to the investigation. “The state is gradually limping back to normalcy and we will keep it (the matter) on hold at the moment,” stated CJI Khanna, indicating that the court would decide later whether the Supreme Court or the High Court should oversee the case.
