The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed shock over 34 unnatural deaths at the camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in ethnic violence-hit Manipur, questioning the state’s failure to pursue investigations by registering criminal cases and conducting post-mortems.
The court directed the Manipur Legal Services Authority to take up the matter immediately and ensure cases are registered in all unnatural death cases. It ordered the authority to ascertain the cause of deaths and take necessary measures to ensure the safety and dignity of the victims staying in the camps.
It also took up a report about the status of investigations by 42 special investigation teams (SITs) probing 3,020 cases related to the Manipur violence. Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, who appeared for the SITs, informed the court that 1,135 cases are still under investigation. She added that the probe has been concluded in 1,583 cases. Bhati said charge sheets were filed in only 302 cases. Bhati said trials have commenced in 33 cases. Bhati said charge sheets have been filed in 28 of the 31 cases the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing. Bhati said only six of 900 CBI witnesses have been examined. But sporadic violence has continued and left over 306 people dead and 49 missing since May 2023.
The court directed the state to ensure IDPs are treated with dignity and provided medical facilities and day-to-day needs. She added that the SITs filed closure reports in the remaining cases. She added closure reports were filed in the remaining cases. A new government was formed in February, nearly a year after the imposition of President’s Rule. It includes representatives from all three major communities as part of an attempt to maintain balance.
