Supreme Court Pushes Fast-Track Trials in Manipur Violence Cases, Seeks Swift Justice

The Supreme Court on Friday proposed the creation of special courts to conduct day-to-day trials in criminal cases linked to the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur, signalling a renewed push to speed up justice for hundreds of victims affected by the conflict.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also directed investigating agencies, including the CBI and the Manipur Special Investigation Team (SIT), to expedite pending investigations and ensure that victims and their families receive copies of the chargesheets filed in their cases.

The court observed that several victims are still awaiting access to chargesheets, making it difficult for them to effectively pursue legal remedies. It allowed legal aid lawyers representing the victims to approach the offices of the Chief Justices of the Gauhati High Court and the Manipur High Court to obtain the documents. The bench directed the investigating agencies to provide these copies within one week.

To determine how many special courts may be required, the Supreme Court asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the state government, the SIT and the CBI, to compile details of cases where investigations have been completed and chargesheets filed, along with those where probes are still pending.

The bench said the information would help assess the judicial infrastructure needed to ensure speedy and efficient trials in the violence-related cases.

In another significant direction, the court asked the Manipur High Court to examine cases involving 30 people who remain missing since the violence erupted.

The Supreme Court also instructed the CBI, the state SIT, and the court-appointed monitoring committee headed by former Maharashtra DGP Dattatray Padsalgikar to submit fresh status reports on the progress of investigations.

The ethnic violence, which began on May 3, 2023, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' protesting the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, has claimed more than 200 lives, injured hundreds and displaced thousands across Manipur.