'Can't Take Law And Order Apparatus In Our Hands': Supreme Court On Manipur Violence

The Supreme Court will hear pleas related to Manipur violence tomorrow, including a plea by the Manipur government challenging the state high court's order which allowed the restoration of internet in state in a limited manner.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 10 July 2023 7:19 am

Personnel of Assam Rifles keep a watch amid ongoing ethnic clashes in the state

The Supreme Court will hear a plea tomorrow challenging the Manipur High Court order which allowed the restoration of internet in the state in a limited manner, along with other batch of pleas concerning Manipur violence.

On July 7, the Manipur High Court had ordered the state government to lift the internet ban on Internet Lease Line (ILL) and Fibre To The Home (FTTH) connections in the State after ensuring that all the stakeholders have complied with the safeguards suggested by an expert committee.

Expert Committee's suggestions

The committee suggested that all service providers operating in Manipur may be allowed to provide internet service to a restricted number of specially identified and whitelisted mobile numbers. These numbers will be provided by the Home Department of the Government of Manipur and the internet service will be exclusive to the identified mobile numbers, with no possibility of leakage or unauthorized access.

Additionally, internet service through broadband connections can be provided with certain safeguards in place, according to a report by LiveLaw.

Internet was snapped in Manipur on May 3 after horrific violence broke out between the hill-majority Kuki tribe and the valley-majority Meiteis over the latter's demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status.

Manipur violence

Meanwhile, on continuing violence in Manipur, the court said that they cannot take law and order apparatus into their hands. "It is for Centre, Manipur government to ensure security," the court said. It further said that it can direct authorities to make situation better in Manipur and asked different groups to give positive suggestions on the same.

"Give us some positive suggestions by Tuesday to make the situation better and we will ask the Centre and the Manipur government to look into it", the bench told different groups of Manipur before it, as it took on record the status report filed by the state chief secretary on the situation prevailing in the violence-hit state.

Fresh violence erupted in Manipur on Monday, killing at least one policeman and injuring 10 others following violent overnight clashes. The firing was aimed at villages and hills in Kangchup area of Kangpokpi district, the officials said.