Give details on arson, invasion of properties, SC tells Manipur

The Supreme Court today asked the Manipur Government to submit a detailed report in sealed cover on the number of properties fully or partially burnt, looted or encroached upon during the ongoing ethnic violence in the state. A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, emphasised the need for the state to address the grievances of displaced persons and take measures to restore their properties.

It asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Manipur Government, to provide specific details such as buildings burnt or partially burnt, buildings looted, buildings trespassed or encroached upon. The report should contain information on the owners and current occupants of these properties, along with the details of any legal actions taken against trespassers, the Bench said. “You have to take a decision on how you want to deal with it or in terms of criminal action as well as to ask them (encroachers of the properties) to pay mesne profits for the use of the occupation” it noted.

Mesne profit is the compensation paid to a rightful owner of a property by a person who is in unlawful possession of it.

Over 200 persons have been killed, several hundred injured and thousands displaced since ethnic violence first broke out on May 3, 2023, when a “tribal solidarity march” was organised in hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for ST status.

It asked the state to respond to the issue of release of funds for temporary and permanent housing as flagged by the three judge-panel, headed by Justice Gita Mittal, the former CJ of the Jammu and Kashmir HC. Senior Advocate Vibha Makhija, appearing for the judges’ panel, said it took several steps, with the support of some officials, on the rehabilitation, skill-building and resettlement of the displaced individuals.

Top court orders creation of dedicated cell to deal with mercy petitions

• The SC on Monday passed a slew of directions for early disposal of mercy petitions filed by convicts
• It directed that a dedicated cell shall be constituted by the home or prison department of the state or UT for dealing with such petitions
• The dedicated cell shall be responsible for the prompt processing of mercy petitions within the time frame laid down by the respective governments
• The directions came as the SC upheld an order of the Bombay High Court in the 2007 Pune BPO employee gang-rape and murder case

  n The HC had commuted the death penalty of two convicts to life term for a period of 35 years on the grounds of an inordinate delay in executing them — PTI