The Supreme Court directed expeditious trial in the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence cases and sought a status report, noting SIT chargesheets in 207 cases involving over 400 accused, while observing that bail cancellation requires egregious grounds and emphasising rehabilitation measures to uncover the complete truth.
The Supreme Court said that the ongoing trial related to the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence must be expedited and asked the relevant authorities to submit a status report.
Ethnic violence in Manipur began on May 3, 2025, after a “Tribal Solidarity March” was held in the hill districts.
The protest was aimed at opposing the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The violence reportedly claimed more than 260 lives and resulted in thousands of people being displaced.
Hearing the matter, a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that, according to a SIT report, chargesheets had been filed in 207 cases involving more than 400 accused.
The bench was considering a plea filed by the CBI challenging the Gauhati High Court’s grant of bail to two accused Arun Khundongbam and Nameirakpam Kiran Meitei who were alleged to have gangraped the victims and paraded them naked.
It said,
“We are of the view that the ongoing trial needs to be expedited. We have asked the CBI and others to provide legal aid counsel who are well-versed in Manipuri to counsel the victims…The status of the ongoing trial must be filed in the next hearing,”
At the beginning of the hearing, the bench clarified that the case was being addressed primarily on the question of providing legal aid to the victims’ families, and that it would not interfere with other issues.
Referring to a CBI report, the bench observed that 20 chargesheets had been filed and trials had started in 16 cases. It further noted that, as per the SIT status report, chargesheets had been filed in 207 cases against over 400 accused.
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The bench also took note of a report submitted by former IPS officer Dattatray Padsalgikar, observing that the law and order situation in the state was precarious on April 7 and 18 this year, with some incidents of violence and the state police under strain.
The bench further stated that the victims’ faith in the justice system was crucial and said “confidence-building measures” with them were necessary.
Earlier, On September 8, 2025, the Gauhati High Court granted bail to the two accused, citing that they had spent two years in custody while charges were yet to be framed. It characterised the detention as unjustified prolonged incarceration.
The Gauhati High Court had said in its order,
“While the accusations here are grave and shocking, this court cannot overlook that indefinite detention without trial amounts to pretrial punishment, which is impermissible in law,”
The CBI had moved to cancel the bail, citing the seriousness of the allegations of sexual violence.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, advocate Nizam Pasha, representing some victims, submitted that the same court had earlier acknowledged the heinous nature of the offences on May 9, 2025, but granted bail on September 8 on the basis of delay.
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The Supreme Court bench said,
“As it is a matter of liberty, an egregious ground is required to cancel the bail. Our main concern is bringing home the truth, and for that, whatever rehabilitation measure is necessary, we will examine…”
Earlier, in March, the Supreme Court ordered the appointment of legal aid counsel for the victims through the state legal services authority.
Additionally, On July 20, 2023, the apex court had taken suo motu cognisance of the matter after a video of the assault surfaced online and was widely shared months later, leading to nationwide outrage. The violence was preceded by earlier tensions involving the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had then triggered a chain of smaller agitations.
In August 2023, the Centre set up the Justice Gita Mittal Commission to oversee relief and rehabilitation for victims of ethnic violence in Manipur on the recommendation of the Manipur government. Its tenure has been recently extended until July 31.
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