National Desk
18 April
Sandeep Dhand
Journalist and Research Analysist
The Central Government informed the Supreme Court today that a forensic report verifying the authenticity of a leaked video clip allegedly involving former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in the ethnic violence case is ready. The report will be submitted in a sealed envelope. A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna acknowledged the submissions made by lawyers representing the Centre and the Manipur state government.
The case, filed by the ‘Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust’ (KOHR), was scheduled for hearing but has now been deferred to the week starting May 5. The lawyer representing the government stated that the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) has completed the report and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta will present it to the court. However, due to Mehta’s unavailability, the case has been postponed.
The controversy stems from an audio clip, allegedly linking N. Biren Singh to the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023. The Supreme Court had earlier directed CFSL to submit a sealed report confirming the clip’s authenticity. Amid growing unrest and calls for leadership change, Singh resigned from the Chief Minister’s post on February 9.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing KOHR, urged the court to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under judicial supervision to probe Singh’s alleged role in the violence.
Chief Justice Khanna noted that the situation in Manipur is gradually returning to normal. He said the hearing would be deferred for now, and a decision will be made later on whether the case should continue in the Supreme Court or be transferred to a High Court. The Solicitor General agreed with the court’s observations.
The matter remains sensitive, and further hearings will determine the next steps in the investigation.