Supreme Court Receives Forensic Report on Manipur Audio Clips Linked to Former CM

The Supreme Court has received a forensic report from the National Forensic Science University regarding audio clips allegedly connecting former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh to ethnic violence. The lab concluded that the clips were tampered with, making it impossible to determine if the voice belongs to Singh. This development comes amid ongoing legal proceedings initiated by the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust, which is demanding an independent investigation. The court has scheduled further hearings to discuss the findings and allow the petitioner to respond. The situation in Manipur remains tense, with significant casualties and displacements since the outbreak of violence in May 2023.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 3, 2025, 16:14 IST

Forensic Findings on Controversial Audio Clips

The laboratory at the National Forensic Science University has informed the Supreme Court that the audio recordings allegedly connecting former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh to the state's ethnic violence were found to be tampered with. As a result, the lab stated that it cannot scientifically determine if the voice in the clips belongs to Singh, according to reports.

This information was presented to a bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and Alok Aradhe, who were reviewing a petition from the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust. The petitioners are calling for an independent inquiry into the audio clips that supposedly feature Singh's voice.

In the recordings, a voice resembling Singh's is heard claiming responsibility for the initiation of the conflict and boasting about disregarding Union Home Minister Amit Shah's directive against the use of explosives during the unrest, as well as protecting individuals who had seized numerous weapons from police armories.

Since the ethnic clashes erupted between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities in May 2023, over 260 individuals have lost their lives, and more than 59,000 have been displaced. Violence has continued intermittently into 2024.

Following Singh's resignation, President's Rule was imposed in February.

The forensic lab reported that four exhibits displayed evidence of alteration and tampering.

Justice Kumar quoted from the report, stating, "Thus, they conclude that the clips are modified and do not represent the original recordings, making them unsuitable for forensic voice comparison." He added that no conclusions could be drawn regarding the similarities or differences between the speakers in question and the control clips.

In August, the court had ordered a new forensic examination of the audio clips at the National Forensic Science University in Gandhinagar to assess their authenticity.

The court indicated that this examination would clarify whether the audio clips had been altered and if the voice in the disputed recordings matched an admitted audio sample, providing a definitive answer on whether the same individual is speaking in all recordings.

The lab was instructed to submit its findings directly to the court in a sealed envelope.

On Monday, the bench mandated that the report be shared with the involved parties and scheduled the next hearing for December 8.

The court also allowed the petitioner to respond to the report.

During the hearing, Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, mentioned that a separate forensic analysis conducted by Truth Labs indicated that the 50-minute recording was unedited and suggested a 93% probability that the voice matched the control sample.