Manipur Violence: Supreme Court Receives Reports; Calls for Enhanced Victim Compensation and Restoration of Lost Documents
In the aftermath of the Manipur violence, a committee appointed by the Supreme Court, tasked with examining the humanitarian aspects of the issue, has submitted three significant reports. The committee, led by Justice Gita Mittal, former Chief Justice of J&K High Court, and comprising Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, a former Bombay HC judge, and Justice Asha Menon, a former Delhi HC judge, was formed to address concerns such as relief, remedial measures, rehabilitation, and the restoration of homes and places of worship.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The bench, which includes CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra, has instructed that these reports be shared with the counsels, seeking their feedback on the proposed suggestions.
Delving into the details of the reports:
- Loss of Essential Documents: A significant concern raised was the loss of crucial documents by Manipur citizens during the riots. The report explicitly states the need for “assistance in reconstruction of important documents such as Aadhaar cards etc for such citizens.”
- Victim Compensation Scheme: The reports highlighted the shortcomings of the Manipur Victim Compensation scheme, especially when compared to the NALSA scheme. The reports pointed out a provision in the current scheme that states, “if benefits under other schemes have been received by a victim, no benefit shall be provided to such a person under the Manipur Victim Scheme.”
- Appointment of Domain Experts: The third report emphasized the necessity for “the appointment of domain experts for administrative directions.”
Addressing the procedural requirements, CJI DY Chandrachud remarked,
“Suggestions in that regard may be collated by Ms. Vrinda Grover in due consultation with the committee which shall be shared with the Advocate General of Manipur by Thursday morning. List the matter on Friday.”
Further, the CJI noted the committee’s meticulous approach in segmenting cases under various categories, including compensation, violence against women, mental health care, medical health care, relief camps, data reporting, and monitoring.
Senior Advocate Indira Jaising raised concerns about the committee’s operational challenges. Highlighting the lack of a dedicated space for the committee members, she mentioned that Justice Gita Mittal had requested the Delhi High Court Chief Justice for a suitable location. Responding to this, CJI DY Chandrachud assured,
“I will have a word with Justice Mittal and the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court. If the Vulnerable Deposition Witness Creation Office can be used by her, it would be fine. If not, then the Ministry of Home Affairs can make the required arrangements.”
In a prior hearing, the Court had acknowledged the Centre’s decision to transfer 11 FIRs related to sexual violence to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Court emphasized the inclusion of officers from other states
“to ensure that there is a sense of faith and an overall feeling of objectivity.”
The Court clarified that these officers would operate within the CBI’s administrative setup.
Regarding the State police investigation, plans to establish 42 SITs to handle cases not transferred to the CBI were discussed. These SITs will be overseen by inspectors from other State Police forces and supervised by 6 DIG rank officers from outside the State of Manipur.
The Supreme Court had previously expressed its dissatisfaction with the police investigation, labeling it as “tardy” and emphasizing the delays in registering FIRs and the limited arrests.
This detailed coverage of the Manipur violence and the subsequent legal proceedings highlights the judiciary’s unwavering commitment to ensuring justice and rehabilitation for the victims.
