Audio clips linking ex-CM N Biren Singh to Manipur ethnic violence manipulated, NFSU report tells SC

Audio recordings allegedly linking former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh to the Manipur ethnic violence were clearly manipulated and edited, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Friday, citing a report by the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU).

“Lordship may see what they have done now. I spoke to the CFSL doctors and I told them to send me a letter. Even this (two-hour-long audio clip) has 41 alterations. I am told there are the same variations (as the earlier one)... it's clearly manipulated,” Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati told a Bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva.

This is the second time that forensic experts have raised questions over the authenticity of audio clips allegedly implicating former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the 2023 ethnic violence.

In November 2025, the National Forensic Science Laboratory (NFSL), Gandhinagar, had told the Supreme Court that the audio clips were tampered with and not scientifically fit for voice comparison and that no opinion on similarity or dissimilarity of the speakers could be offered.

On Friday, advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), sought to contradict the NFSU report, pointing out that a report by Truth Labs concluded with over 93% certainty that the voice in the recording was that of Biren Singh.

Directing that the coloured copies of the NFSU report be supplied to the parties in a sealed cover, the Bench said, "Confidentiality of the report should be maintained to the extent of not making it public or placing it in public.”

The Bench deferred the hearing on KOHUR’s petition seeking an independent SIT probe into the matter, saying it would hear the two sides based on the latest report.