NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory on leaked audio tapes allegedly showing involvement of the Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the state's ongoing ethnic violence.
SC Seeks Forensic Report on Manipur CM’s Alleged Involvement in Ethnic Violence
A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, while giving six weeks time to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for furnishing the report in sealed cover, fixed the matter for consideration on March 24.
The court also noted, the state is gradually limping back to normalcy. The violence in Manipur has killed more than 200 people and left thousands homeless since it first erupted in May 2023.
Leaked Audio Tapes: Supreme Court Awaits CFSL Findings on Manipur Unrest
Initially, the bench told advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust, that the state is gradually limping back to normalcy and the court can keep the matter on hold.
The bench also said the second issue is that whether the Manipur High Court should hear this matter.
Mehta also said that there are no incidents now. Bhushan said these tape recordings which came out established Manipur CM's involvement.
The counsel said that he has annexed the transcripts of the tape recordings, which are very serious.
Mehta said the FIR was lodged in August, however, the petition was filed in November 2024.
“Whatever they supplied has been sent to CFSL and awaiting their report. Whoever has uploaded on their Twitter account, we have approached them also,” Mehta said, adding that the government is waiting for the lab report.
The bench asked Mehta to examine the transcripts.
"The petitioner has some ideological inclination, separatists etc. There are reports filed by the court-appointed committee that these civil society organisations are wanting to keep the pot boiling. Let this not happen”.
The bench said, "In the beginning itself, we said it should not become another issue but at the same, we do not know the contents of the transcripts and the veracity also”.
The bench told Mehta that the concerned authority has to verify the veracity of the tape recordings. “When will the FSL report come,” the bench asked.
Since Mehta said that the recordings were sent to the CFSL in November 2024, the court asked him, “Get the report in one month."
Bhushan said they had sent the recordings to a truth lab, and this lab has far greater expertise and credibility than any CFSL.
“Truth labs have been asked by high courts and other courts, their report says yes, these are his (Manipur CM) voice,” Bhushan said.
The counsel said there are 93 % chances that is Manipur CM’s voice.
The court fixed the matter for consideration after six weeks.
Bhushan, citing the transcript of the audio clip, said the CM is saying that he allowed the Meitei people to loot the arms from the armoury and he protected them from being arrested, and it was a closed-door meeting of some of the Meiteis. “Unfortunately for him, one person on his phone recorded this whole meeting,” Bhushan said.
"Let us have the report…we are asking them in six weeks and they will give it,” the bench listed the matter in the week commencing on March 24, 2025.
The court said the CFSL report will be produced in sealed cover.
The petition filed by a Kuki organisation sought a court-monitored investigation into certain clips which allegedly implicated Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh for instigating ethnic violence in the state.
