Did Biren Singh instigate Manipur violence? SC seeks forensic report
What's the story
The Supreme Court of India has ordered a forensic examination of audio clips purportedly involving Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in ethnic violence.
The directive was issued by a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar.
The Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) has been assigned the task of analyzing these recordings.
Legal proceedings
Petition seeks independent probe into controversial audio clips
The Supreme Court's order comes after a writ petition was filed by the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust seeking an independent probe into these audio recordings.
The tapes purportedly show Singh inciting violence during a private meeting.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, cited findings from Truth Labs—an independent forensic lab in Delhi—that allegedly matched Singh's voice to the tapes with 93% accuracy.
Legal debate
Ongoing investigation and accusations of separatist mindset
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the petitioner should first approach the high court, noting an FIR had already been filed and a police investigation was underway.
Mehta also accused the petitioner of harboring a separatist mindset.
The bench has scheduled further hearings in the matter for March 24, 2025.
The Manipur government announced that police are investigating a clip with alleged offensive remarks by Singh, which he claims is fake.
Conflict background
Ethnic violence in Manipur: A brief overview
The ethnic conflict in Manipur, which is the backdrop of this legal battle, erupted on May 3, 2023.
The violence was fueled by the differences between the Meiteis and Kukis over quotas and economic benefits.
Since then, over 200 people have been killed and thousands have been displaced.
Forces have been deployed in sensitive areas to prevent further incidents of violence.