Today, 17th March, The Supreme Court ruled that cases related to the Manipur violence will be tried in Guwahati, dismissing requests for their transfer elsewhere. The bench emphasized that the trials would proceed in Assam’s capital to ensure fairness and security. This decision aligns with earlier directives aimed at expediting justice in the sensitive cases. The Court assured that necessary arrangements would be made to facilitate a smooth legal process.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court confirmed that the trial of the Manipur ethnic violence cases, which are being investigated by the CBI, will take place in Guwahati, Assam, where they had previously been transferred.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna also extended the tenure of a committee headed by Justice Gita Mittal, the former chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, until July 31, 2025.
This panel, which also includes former Bombay High Court judge Shalini P. Joshi and Asha Menon, a former Delhi High Court judge, was established by the Supreme Court on August 7, 2023, to oversee the relief and rehabilitation of victims affected by the ethnic violence in Manipur.
The panel’s tenure had already been extended by six months on August 5 of the previous year.
During Monday’s proceedings, the bench acknowledged a lawyer’s submissions regarding the status of the trials for cases that had been transferred to Guwahati for pre-trial proceedings as mandated on August 25, 2023.
Chief Justice Khanna stated,
“We clarify that the trial of transferred cases will be held before the courts at Guwahati.”
Considering the “overall environment in Manipur and the need for ensuring a fair process of criminal justice administration,” the Supreme Court previously transferred 27 cases to Assam, which included the high-profile sexual assault case involving two women who were infamously paraded naked in a viral video.
In issuing a series of directions, the top court instructed the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court to assign one or more judicial officers to manage the transferred cases. Among the 27 cases, 20 involve charges of molestation, rape, and murder, while three pertain to the theft of weapons.
The bench expressed agreement on the distribution of various reports submitted by the judges’ panel to all litigants but urged the parties to proceed with caution due to the “sensitivities involved.”
Concurring with the bench, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Manipur government, noted the potential for some individuals to have “other motives.”
The bench scheduled the next hearing for the week of July 21.
On December 9 of last year, the bench instructed the Manipur government to submit a comprehensive sealed report detailing the properties that were fully or partially burned, looted, or encroached upon during the ongoing ethnic violence in the state. The court stressed the importance of addressing the grievances of displaced individuals and taking measures to restore their properties.
Also Read: SC directs IT ministry on Manipur violence
Additionally, the court mandated that the report include specific information on “buildings that were burned or partially burned, buildings that were looted, and those that were trespassed or encroached upon.” The report also required to provide details about the owners and current occupants of these properties, as well as any legal actions taken against trespassers.
The court directed the Manipur government to indicate the steps taken to ensure that trespassers are dealt with according to the law.
The Supreme Court stated,
“You have to take a decision on how you wish to address this, both in terms of criminal action and in requiring those who have encroached to pay ‘mesne profits’ for their occupation,”
Mesne profit refers to the compensation that a rightful property owner is entitled to receive from someone who is unlawfully in possession of their property.
Also Read: “Don’t Use Proceedings for Violence” : CJI On Manipur Violence
The Supreme Court also directed the state government to address the issue of funding for both temporary and permanent housing, as highlighted by the judges’ panel.
In August 2023, the court appointed former Maharashtra police chief Dattatray Padsalgikar to oversee the investigation into the criminal cases.
Since ethnic violence erupted in the state on May 3, 2023 triggered by a “tribal solidarity march” organized in the hill districts to protest the majority Meitei community’s demand for scheduled tribe status over 200 people have been killed, hundreds injured, and thousands displaced.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
