The Centre has granted a sixth extension to the Manipur violence inquiry commission, moving its report deadline to May 20, 2027.
Constituted in 2023, the panel was initially expected to submit its findings within six months of its first sitting.
Meanwhile, fresh Naga-Kuki clashes have claimed more than 65 lives, including five people killed in two recent attacks.
The Centre has granted a sixth extension to the three-member Commission of Inquiry probing the Meitei-Kuki violence in Manipur, pushing the deadline for submitting its report to May 20, 2027, nearly four years after the clashes began.
The Union Home Ministry issued the notification on Friday, extending the panel's deadline as it continues its investigation into the violence that erupted on May 3, 2023.
The commission was constituted to examine the circumstances leading to the violence, its spread across the state and attacks targeting members of different communities.
“The Commission shall submit its report to the Central Government as soon as possible but not later than the 20th May, 2027,” the notification said.
The panel was initially expected to submit its findings within six months of its first sitting on June 4, 2023. However, the inquiry has now received six extensions, taking the deadline to almost four years after the commission began its proceedings.
The latest extension follows an earlier six-month extension granted on May 13, 2026, which had pushed the deadline to November 20, 2026.
What The Commission Is Investigating
The commission has been tasked with examining the sequence of events leading to the violence, the facts and circumstances surrounding the clashes, and possible lapses or dereliction of duty by responsible authorities and individuals.
It will also assess whether the administrative measures taken to prevent and deal with the violence were adequate.
The panel is headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice B S Chauhan. Its other members are retired IAS officer Himanshu Shekhar Das and retired IPS officer Aloka Prabhakar.
People in Manipur familiar with the development said the three-member panel visited the state between May 29 and 31 as part of the inquiry.
Fresh Naga-Kuki Clashes Add To Tensions
Even as the commission's findings on the Meitei-Kuki violence remain awaited, Manipur has witnessed another round of clashes between Naga and Kuki groups, which have claimed more than 65 lives.
On Friday, four Naga people were killed in an ambush allegedly carried out by Kuki militants along the Imphal-Ukhrul highway. A day earlier, a Kuki person was killed by Naga militants.
The latest round of Naga-Kuki clashes began following a drunken brawl in Litan village in Ukhrul district.
