Submit report on arson and illegal occupation of assets: SC to Manipur

NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Manipur government to submit a comprehensive report detailing measures taken to address the widespread arson and illegal occupation of properties during the ethnic strife that has gripped the northeastern state since May 2023.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and justice PV Sanjay Kumar asked the state to provide specifics on the properties that were burnt, looted, or illegally occupied, along with details of their original owners. The court further instructed the state to outline steps taken to recover charges from those who have unlawfully used or occupied these properties.

“The report to be submitted by the state government should also indicate the steps taken by the state against unauthorised occupation and illegal usage of properties along with recovery of appropriate charges for such unauthorised usage,” the bench said in an order and posted the matter for hearing in January.

Hearing a batch of petitions highlighting the ongoing violence and administrative lapses, the bench emphasised that the state administration must bring its actions on record. Addressing solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing the N Biren Singh government, the bench observed: “You will have to take a decision on what you want to do and tell us. We can accordingly issue directions.”

SG Mehta underscored the government’s focus on maintaining law and order but cautioned against using court proceedings as a platform for creating discord. He also requested the bench to keep confidential the details of ammunition looted from state police and armoury since the conflict began.

The bench, however, maintained that the state must justify the need for confidentiality and directed it to furnish these details in accordance with a prior order issued in September 2023.

During the proceedings, senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija, appearing as amicus curiae, informed that the Justice Gita Mittal Committee has prepared over 34 reports on the various tasks undertaken since last year. The court directed the committee reports to be filed to enable the Union home ministry and the state government to take suitable action.

The ethnic violence in Manipur erupted on May 3, 2023, during a protest against a court-ordered decision to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the majority Meitei community. The clashes between the Meiteis and Kukis, two communities with deep ethnic divisions, have since claimed around 260 lives, displaced tens of thousands, and led to widespread destruction of property.

The court has been monitoring the situation, focussing on rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts. A series of petitions brought before the court have sought protective and rehabilitative measures for the victims.

In August 2023, the apex court transferred 27 cases under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to designated judges in Assam to ensure the safety of victims and witnesses and to facilitate fair trials. Of these cases, 20 involve sexual violence and murder, including the case of two Kuki women paraded naked in a horrific incident that drew nationwide outrage.

To ensure thorough investigations, the Supreme Court appointed former Maharashtra DGP and ex-deputy national security adviser Dattatray Padsalgikar on August 10 to oversee probes by both the CBI and the 42 Special Investigation Teams (SITs) constituted by the state government. These SITs are handling more than 6,500 First Information Reports (FIRs) related to the violence.

While Padsalgikar has submitted his report, the court has yet to evaluate it. Additionally, the Justice Gita Mittal-led committee, tasked with recommending measures for relief, rehabilitation, and the protection of the rights of affected residents, has submitted 37 reports, some of which remain pending review.

Despite its active involvement, the Supreme Court has heard the Manipur conflict matter only five times in 2024, with no substantial orders passed so far even as the state has witnessed fresh unrest in recent days. Jiribam, which is home to Meiteis, Kukis, Bengalis, Nepalis, Nagas, and other communities, is the epicentre of the fresh wave of clashes to besiege the state.

A 31-year-old woman was allegedly shot, raped and set on fire in November as suspected members of the Meitei organisation Arambai Tenggol attacked a tribal village in the district, triggering a surge in violence. Subsequently, security forces gunned down 10 militants in Jiribam after a group of armed men attacked a CRPF post. A day after the gunfight, the bodies of two civilians were recovered from a Jiribam village. Six members of a Meitei family from the same village—three women and three children—were reported missing. The bodies of five have been recovered. Later, the body of a Kuki man was also found in the district. These events in Jiribam have led to gunfights in the buffer zones and protests by Meitei groups in the state capital, further underscoring the fragile state of affairs.