Supreme Court to Review Audio Evidence Allegedly Implicating Manipur CM in Communal Violence
New Delhi – The Supreme Court of India has agreed to examine audio recordings that allegedly implicate Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the ongoing communal violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The Bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and including Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, directed the petitioner, the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust, to submit the source and verify the authenticity of the recordings.
“We grant the petitioner an opportunity to file material indicating the authenticity of the clip,” the Bench stated, addressing concerns over the evidence’s credibility.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, argued that the recordings depict CM Singh admitting to inciting unrest and allowing arms to be looted. Bhushan questioned the state’s capacity to investigate these claims independently, stating, “He allowed arms and ammunitions to be looted. How can the state investigate this?”
The Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing the Central government, opposed the plea, suggesting that the petitioner aimed to “keep the fire burning” amid the unrest. He defended CM Singh, citing efforts to maintain peace with Kuki leaders and accused the petitioner of fueling conflict.
Despite Mehta’s objections, CJI Chandrachud responded, emphasizing the Court’s role in addressing such cases: “We have a duty as a Constitutional court and we cannot brush things under the carpet. We also know what happened in Manipur. It is because we are not in ivory towers.”
