Supreme Court ‘shocked’ over deaths in Manipur relief camps, seeks Chief Secretary’s response

The Supreme Court on September 17 expressed shock over the deaths of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in relief camps in Manipur and directed the state’s Chief Secretary to file an affidavit detailing the steps taken to investigate the deaths, initiate criminal proceedings in cases of unnatural deaths and ensure the safety and dignity of those living in the camps.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana questioned the Manipur government over the lack of significant action despite information placed before it by the Justice Gita Mittal committee regarding deaths, including alleged unnatural deaths, among IDPs staying in relief camps.

“We direct the Chief Secretary of Manipur to file an affidavit on deaths, especially unnatural deaths, at relief camps in Manipur,” the bench said in its order.

The court also questioned why postmortems had been conducted in only 20 of 34 reported death cases.

The bench further sought an explanation from the state government over the payment of only Rs 20,000-30,000 in compensation to IDPs who allegedly died unnatural deaths while staying in relief camps.

The Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) was directed to file a separate status report on the issue.

The Chief Justice also directed the MSLSA to ensure that FIRs are registered in all cases involving unnatural deaths and that investigations are conducted expeditiously.

The legal services authority was further asked to monitor whether the safety and dignity of IDPs living in relief camps were being protected.

The directions came after the bench examined reports submitted by the Justice Gita Mittal committee and an IAS officer indicating that more than 30 deaths had occurred in relief camps in Manipur. One of the cases reportedly involved an alleged sexual assault preceding the death.

CBI, state SIT probe status

The Supreme Court also reviewed the progress of investigations into cases arising from the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the CBI and the Manipur government, told the court that the CBI had investigated 31 cases, with final reports filed in 28. Three CBI cases remain under investigation, she said.

Apart from the CBI cases, the state government has constituted 42 Special Investigation Teams (SITs) comprising local police officers across eight districts.

According to Bhati, the SITs have registered 3,020 cases. Chargesheets have been filed in 302 cases, while closure reports have been submitted in 1,583 cases.

Investigations remain underway in 1,135 cases, while trials have commenced in 33 cases investigated by the state SITs, she said.

The bench also expressed hope that two special trial courts established to exclusively hear CBI and NIA cases arising from the 2023 violence would complete the trials expeditiously.

The court noted that details of the cases had been provided to legal services counsel and could be accessed by victims who have approached the court for pursuing their cases.

It also noted that the case details were provided by the Manipur government and Dattatray Padsalgikar, a former IPS officer monitoring the CBI investigation into the violence.

Over 200 killed since 2023 violence

The ethnic violence in Manipur began on May 3, 2023, following a tribal solidarity march in the hill districts over the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the majority Meitei community.

More than 200 people have been killed in the violence, while several hundred have been injured and thousands displaced from their homes.

A large number of those displaced have continued to depend on relief camps and other temporary arrangements for shelter and essential services.

The Supreme Court's latest directions put the focus on the circumstances surrounding deaths inside relief camps and the need for proper investigation, registration of FIRs and protection of displaced people.