New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday demanded answers from the Manipur government over more than 30 deaths in relief camps housing people displaced by the state’s prolonged ethnic conflict, including cases described as unnatural and one allegedly linked to sexual assault.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed the Manipur chief secretary to file an affidavit detailing the action taken to investigate the deaths, register criminal cases and protect the internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in the camps.
The court passed the direction after examining reports submitted by the Justice Gita Mittal committee and an IAS officer. The bench questioned why the state had not taken significant steps despite receiving information about the deaths, as reported by The New Indian Express.
“We direct the chief secretary of Manipur to file an affidavit on deaths, especially unnatural deaths, at relief camps in Manipur,” the bench said.
It sought an explanation for postmortems being conducted in only 20 of the 34 reported death cases. The court also questioned the state over the compensation paid to IDPs who died unnatural deaths while staying in relief camps.
“The state is also obliged to explain as to why only Rs 20,000-30,000 as compensation was paid to internally displaced persons who met with unnatural deaths while sheltered in relief camps,” the bench said.
MSLSA Told To Ensure FIRs
The Supreme Court directed the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) to submit a separate status report on the deaths and the steps taken in response.
Chief Justice Surya Kant asked the authority to ensure that FIRs were registered in all cases involving unnatural deaths. The MSLSA was also directed to monitor the investigations and ensure that they were completed promptly.
The legal services authority was further asked to ensure the protection, safety and dignity of IDPs living in the relief camps.
The order was issued after the bench perused the reports, which recorded more than 30 deaths in the camps. The material before the court also mentioned a death following an alleged sexual assault.
The bench expressed hope that two special trial courts established to exclusively hear CBI and National Investigation Agency cases arising from the 2023 Manipur violence would complete the trials at the earliest.
It noted that case details had been shared with legal services counsel and could be used by victims who had approached the court to pursue their legal remedies.
The information was supplied by the state government and Dattatray Padsalgikar, a former IPS officer overseeing the CBI probe into cases connected with the Manipur violence.
Probes And Trial Progress
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the CBI and the Manipur government, told the bench that the central agency had investigated 31 cases and filed final reports in 28 of them. Three cases were still under investigation, she said.
In the remaining matters, the state had constituted 42 special investigation teams comprising local police officers. The teams were operating across eight districts, Bhati said.
The SITs have registered 3,020 cases and filed chargesheets in 302 cases. Closure reports have been submitted in 1,583 cases, while investigations are continuing in 1,135 cases, she informed the court.
Trials have begun in 33 cases investigated by the state SITs, Bhati added.
The top court had earlier asked the Manipur and Assam governments and other authorities to consider setting up two special courts to exclusively handle CBI and NIA cases arising from the violence.
The ethnic conflict erupted on May 3, 2023, after a tribal solidarity march was organised in the hill districts to oppose the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the majority Meitei community.
Since then, more than 200 people have been killed, several hundred injured and thousands displaced.
