Supreme Court Proposes Special Courts for Day-to-Day Trial of 2023 Manipur Violence Cases
Imphal, July 24: The Supreme Court has proposed setting up special courts to conduct day-to-day hearings in criminal cases linked to the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur, aiming to speed up the judicial process and ensure timely justice for victims.
During a hearing on Friday, a Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana reviewed a batch of petitions related to the violence. The Bench observed that several victims and their families had still not received copies of the chargesheets filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Manipur Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The Supreme Court 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 chargesheets. It also directed both the CBI and the SIT to provide the required documents within one week.
The Bench instructed Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Manipur government, the CBI, and the SIT, to submit a detailed report on all cases where investigations have been completed and chargesheets filed, along with information on cases where investigations remain pending.
According to the court, this data will help determine how many special courts are needed to ensure the swift disposal of criminal cases arising from the ethnic conflict.
In addition, the Supreme Court directed the Manipur High Court to review cases involving 30 individuals reported missing since the violence erupted in May 2023.
The court also ordered the CBI, the Manipur SIT, and the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee headed by former Maharashtra Director General of Police Dattatray Padsalgikar to submit fresh status reports on the progress of ongoing investigations.
The ethnic violence in Manipur began on May 3, 2023, after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Since then, the conflict has claimed more than 200 lives, injured hundreds, and displaced thousands of residents across the state.
The Supreme Court’s latest directions are expected to accelerate legal proceedings, improve access to justice for victims, and strengthen accountability in one of the state’s most significant criminal investigations.
