Supreme Court Orders Investigation into Manipur Ethnic Violence Claims

The Supreme Court instructed a committee on Monday to investigate claims that approximately 24,000 families affected by the ethnic violence in Manipur in 2023 have yet to receive benefits from government rehabilitation and welfare programs. The court also urged the governments of Manipur and Assam, along with other relevant parties, to consider establishing two separate special trial courts for cases related to the violence being handled by the CBI and NIA. A bench comprising Chief Justice Suryakant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohan took into account the arguments presented by senior advocate Colin Gonsalves and others, who highlighted that many affected tribal individuals have not yet benefited from rehabilitation and welfare schemes. The bench is reviewing the cases of those who lost their homes and livelihoods during the violence.

The court examined the steps taken by the government for the rehabilitation of affected families. It noted that out of nearly 7,000 identified beneficiaries for housing, over 4,000 have already received funding. According to the court, the government scheme allocates ₹5 lakh for temporary houses and ₹7 lakh for semi-permanent or permanent homes. Senior Advocate Vibha Dutt Makhija, representing the Geeta Mittal Committee, informed the bench that more than 12,000 houses have been approved under the 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin' for families impacted by the violence. The bench also mentioned that temporary shelters have been established, and ₹51.95 crore has been disbursed to 885 identified beneficiaries for permanent housing.

Furthermore, the bench stated that families whose homes were completely destroyed have been compensated with ₹1 lakh each. However, it was brought to light by some affected families that nearly 24,000 families have not yet received any benefits, a claim that can be verified on the ground.

The bench was informed that the details of these families have been submitted to a three-member committee. The Chief Justice indicated that if this is the case, the committee should be requested to verify and confirm the information regarding the allegedly affected families. Additionally, a note regarding the implementation of the government welfare schemes mentioned in the court's order dated May 27, 2026, should also be sent. The court directed that applications related to the properties of the affected families be forwarded to the committee chaired by Justice Mittal, which will investigate the status and details of the properties and report back to the court. Regarding the damage to places of worship, the bench noted that a list of 276 properties has been provided, and claims related to these properties need to be investigated.