Today, On 28th January, The Chief Justice of India (CJI) agreed to consider an urgent hearing for a plea accusing Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh of involvement in organizing violence in the state. The petition seeks a court-monitored investigation by an SIT into leaked audio clips allegedly implicating the CM.
Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna indicated that the court might consider advancing the hearing of a plea from a Kuki organization, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, if there was “extreme urgency.”
The plea alleges that Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh was involved in inciting and organizing violence in the northeastern state, resulting in numerous fatalities. However, the Chief Justice instructed Mr. Bhushan to submit a written application for an urgent hearing.
Mr. Bhushan noted that the petitioner had complied with a prior directive from the Supreme Court during a hearing on November 11 of the previous year, which required the production of audio tapes and other materials to support their claims.
He mentioned that the case was scheduled for February 7 but requested an earlier hearing, stating,
“The petitioner is being oppressed, on behalf of the Kuki Organisation for Human Trust.”
Chief Justice Khanna responded,
“We will examine. Please give a request [for urgent hearing] in writing… In case of extreme urgency, we will advance [the court hearing].”
The petitioner argues that the audio tapes, provided by a whistle-blower, contain telephone conversations implicating the Chief Minister in the ethnic violence in Manipur.
The petition seeks a court-ordered investigation by a Special Investigation Team into the leaked audio clips. In November, both Attorney General R. Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta advised the Supreme Court against taking up the case.
Mr. Mehta questioned why Mr. Bhushan had approached the Supreme Court directly instead of the State High Court.
The bench, previously led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, was urged by top law officers to exercise caution, noting that peace in the state had come at a significant cost.
At one point, Mr. Mehta suggested that the court might be “sitting in an ivory tower.”
In response, Chief Justice Chandrachud remarked that the court had ordered the review of the audio tapes and materials because it was attentive to the constitutional rights of the people of Manipur, not isolated from reality.
Mr. Bhushan, who stated that he could not disclose the name of the whistle-blower due to safety concerns, was instructed by the court to submit evidence supporting his claims in a sealed cover.
The NGO, also represented by advocate Cheryl D’Souza, alleged,
“Chief Minister of Manipur was instrumental in inciting, organizing, and centrally orchestrating the large-scale murder, destruction, and other forms of violence against Kuki-dominated areas in Manipur.”
The petition further claims that violence erupted in Manipur in 2023 due to a clash between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kukis, and that in August 2024, an audio recording of approximately 48 minutes from a closed-door meeting with the Chief Minister was published in various newspapers.
The recorded conversation allegedly indicates the complicity and involvement of state machinery in the violence against the Kuki community.