Manipur ethnic violence cases will be tried in Guwahati, says Supreme Court

The trial of Manipur ethnic violence cases probed by the CBI would be conducted in Guwahati, where it has already been transferred to, the Supreme Court said on Monday.

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“We clarify that the trial of transferred cases will be held before the courts at Guwahati,” a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna said after noting the submissions of a lawyer over the fate of the trial in the cases were transferred to Guwahati for pre-trial proceedings by the top court on August 25, 2023.

The Bench also extended the tenure of a panel headed by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal till July 31 and posted the matter for further hearing in the week of July 21.

The top court had set up the panel, which also included former Bombay High Court judge Shalini P Joshi and former Delhi High Court judge Asha Menon, on August 7, 2023, to oversee relief and rehabilitation of the victims of ethnic violence in the state.

Keeping in mind the “overall environment in Manipur and the need for ensuring a fair process of criminal justice administration”, the top court transferred to Assam, 27 cases, having various offences, including the sexual assault case of the two women seen in a viral video being paraded naked.

The top court had directed the Gauhati High Court Chief Justice to nominate one or more judicial officers to deal with the transferred cases. Of the 27 cases, 20 related to charges of molestation, rape and murder, whereas three related to loot of weapons.

On the supply of the several reports submitted by the judges' panel to all the litigants, the Bench was in the affirmative but asked the parties to exercise caution due to the "sensitivities involved". Concurring with the Bench, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Manipur Government, pointed out the possibility of some having "other motives".

Over 200 people were killed, several hundred injured and thousands displaced since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3, 2023, when a "tribal solidarity march" was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for scheduled tribe status.