New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a detailed account from the Manipur government over deaths reported at relief camps housing people displaced by the 2023 ethnic violence, with particular concern over cases classified as unnatural deaths.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed the state’s chief secretary to submit an affidavit explaining the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the action taken by authorities to investigate them.
The court’s directions followed its examination of reports submitted by the Justice Gita Mittal committee and an IAS officer. The reports indicated that more than 30 people had died while staying in relief camps, including a case involving an alleged sexual assault.
The bench questioned why post-mortem examinations were carried out in only 20 of the 34 reported death cases. It also sought an explanation from the state over the relatively low compensation of Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 paid to internally displaced persons who allegedly died unnatural deaths while living in the camps.
The court directed the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) to submit a separate status report on the matter. It further asked the authority to ensure that FIRs are registered in all cases involving unnatural deaths and that investigations are completed without undue delay.
The bench also stressed that authorities must ensure the safety and dignity of people continuing to live in the relief camps.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court also took note of the progress of investigations into cases arising from the 2023 ethnic violence. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the CBI and the Manipur government, informed the court that the CBI had investigated 31 cases so far and submitted final reports in 28 of them. Three cases remain under investigation.
Apart from the CBI cases, the state government has constituted 42 Special Investigation Teams (SITs) comprising local police personnel across eight districts. According to the state, these SITs have registered 3,020 cases and filed chargesheets in 302 cases.
Closure reports have been submitted in 1,583 cases, while investigations in another 1,135 cases are still pending, the court was informed.
The bench also expressed hope that two special trial courts established to exclusively deal with CBI and NIA cases linked to the 2023 violence would complete proceedings at the earliest.
The court noted that details of the cases have been made available to legal services counsel and said victims who have approached the court could make use of the information while pursuing their legal remedies.
