Manipur Relief Camps: SC Seeks Probe Into 34 Deaths, Questions Postmortems And Compensation

The Supreme Court on Thursday sought an explanation from the Manipur government over deaths in relief camps housing internally displaced persons (IDPs), particularly unnatural deaths, and directed the state chief secretary to apprise it of the steps taken to probe the cases, initiate criminal proceedings and ensure the safety of those living in the camps.

The direction came after a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana examined the reports of the Justice Gita Mittal committee and an IAS officer on deaths in the relief camps. The reports recorded more than 30 deaths, including one following an alleged sexual assault, according to PTI.

The bench questioned why no significant steps had been taken on the information provided by the Justice Mittal committee concerning the deaths, including unnatural deaths, in the 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 asked why postmortems had been conducted in only 20 of the 34 death cases. It sought an explanation from the state on the compensation paid to IDPs who died unnatural deaths while sheltered in relief camps.

“The state is also obliged to explain as to why only Rs 20,000-30,000 as compensation was paid to internally displaced persons who met with unnatural deaths while sheltered in relief camps,” the bench said.

The Supreme Court directed the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) to file a separate status report on the matter.

Supreme Court seeks FIRs in unnatural death cases

Chief Justice Surya Kant directed the MSLSA to ensure that FIRs are registered in all cases involving unnatural deaths at the relief camps. The authority was also asked to ensure that the FIRs are investigated expeditiously.

The bench further directed the MSLSA to ensure the safety of IDPs staying in the relief camps, along with their dignity.

The directions followed the court's consideration of the Justice Mittal committee's reports and a report by an IAS officer stating that there had been more than 30 deaths in the relief camps in Manipur. One of the deaths occurred following an alleged sexual assault, PTI reported.

The bench said details of the cases had been provided to legal services counsel and that the petitioner victims can avail them for pursuing their matters to pursue their matters.

The details had been provided by the state government and Dattatray Padsalgikar, a former IPS officer who is monitoring the probe by the CBI in Manipur violence cases, the court noted.

CBI has filed final reports in 28 cases

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

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the CBI and the state government, told the court that the federal probe agency had investigated 31 cases and filed final reports in 28 of them.

Three CBI cases are still under investigation, she said.

Apart from the CBI cases, the state has constituted 42 SITs comprising local police officers across eight districts.

The SITs have registered 3,020 cases, with chargesheets filed in 302 matters, Bhati said. Closure reports have been filed in 1,583 cases, while investigations are continuing in 1,135 cases.

Trials have commenced in 33 cases investigated by the state SITs, she added.

According to PTI, the Supreme Court had earlier asked the Manipur and Assam governments and others to consider establishing two special trial courts exclusively to hear CBI and NIA cases arising from the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur.

Violence displaced thousands in Manipur

The ethnic violence in Manipur broke out on May 3, 2023, following a tribal solidarity march organised in the hill districts to protest against the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the majority Meitei community.

More than 200 people have been killed, several hundred injured and thousands displaced since the violence began.

The latest proceedings centred on deaths among IDPs living in relief camps, with the Supreme Court seeking details on the circumstances of the deaths, postmortems, compensation, criminal proceedings and measures to protect them.