Centre extends Manipur violence inquiry panel deadline to November 2026

The Centre has extended the tenure of the Commission of Inquiry probing the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur by another six months, pushing the deadline for submission of its report to November 20, 2026.

A notification issued on Thursday, May 14, said the three-member panel, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, has been asked to submit its findings “as soon as possible but not later than the 20th November, 2026”.

The commission was constituted on June 4, 2023, days after large-scale violence erupted across Manipur following a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised in the hill districts on May 3 that year. The march was held to oppose the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

More than 260 people were killed in the clashes, while thousands were displaced as homes, shops and other properties were torched in widespread arson attacks. The unrest also exposed deep ethnic divisions between the Meitei and Kuki communities, with sporadic incidents continuing long after the initial outbreak of violence.

The inquiry panel was initially headed by former Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajai Lamba, who stepped down with effect from February 28 this year. Justice Chauhan assumed charge on March 1.

The latest order marks the fifth extension granted to the commission. Earlier extensions were issued in September and December 2024, followed by two more in May and December 2025. The previous deadline had been fixed for May 20 this year.

According to the terms of reference, the panel is examining the sequence of events that led to the violence and whether there were lapses or dereliction of duty by authorities or individuals responsible for maintaining law and order.

The commission is also assessing the adequacy of administrative and security measures taken to prevent the clashes and control the situation once violence broke out. Complaints and representations submitted by individuals and organisations are also being reviewed as part of the inquiry.

Tensions in the state had been building even before the May 2023 violence, particularly over eviction drives targeting villages in reserved forest areas, which had triggered protests in several districts.

The Union home ministry, while announcing the inquiry in 2023, had described the matter as one of “public importance”, citing the scale of the violence and destruction across the state.