Supreme Court's Bold Move: Special Courts for Manipur Violence Trials Proposed
Supreme Court Takes Action on Manipur Ethnic Violence
New Delhi: On Friday, the Supreme Court suggested the establishment of special courts to expedite the trials of criminal cases linked to the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in 2023. The court also instructed investigative agencies to hasten their pending inquiries and ensure that victims receive copies of the chargesheets.
During the proceedings, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, acknowledged that numerous victims and their families have not yet received the chargesheets submitted by the CBI and the state SIT regarding these criminal cases.
The court allowed legal representatives for the victims to approach the chief justices of both the Gauhati and Manipur High Courts to obtain the necessary chargesheets.
The investigative agencies are required to provide these documents to the lawyers within a week.
In its proposal for special courts, the bench requested Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the state government, SIT, and CBI, to gather information on cases where investigations have concluded and chargesheets have been filed, as well as details on ongoing investigations.
This information will assist in determining the number of special courts required for efficient trial proceedings.
Additionally, the bench directed the Manipur High Court to investigate the cases of 30 individuals who have been reported missing following the ethnic unrest.
The court also called for updated status reports from the CBI, state SIT, and the monitoring committee led by former Maharashtra DGP Dattatray Padsalgikar regarding the cases related to the violence.
Since the outbreak of ethnic violence on May 3, 2023, triggered by a 'Tribal Solidarity March' protesting the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, over 200 lives have been lost, hundreds have been injured, and thousands have been displaced.