"What Happened To Report?" Top Court To Manipur On Biren Singh's Alleged "Audio Clip"

NDTV

3 days ago

New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the state government for not placing on record a fresh forensic report on the authenticity of leaked audio clips alleging role of former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh in the ethnic violence despite its directions.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sharma referred to a previous order and asked the state, "What happened to the forensic report? That should have come at least. This order was passed in May 2025. Three months have passed. By now, the forensic report laboratory must have given you a report. At least tell us whether the report has come or it's still in the pipeline." When the state's counsel said the FSL report had not come, the bench asked further, "How long does it take FSL to give a definite report on the analysis of the voice? We will pass it over. This can't go endlessly." The matter could not reach the hearing again during the day.
On May 5, a bench headed by former CJI Sanjiv Khanna examined a forensic report on authenticity of leaked audio clips alleging role of former Manipur CM and asked the state government to file a fresh report on the probe.
It opened the sealed cover report of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) submitted by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and asked him to seek instructions from the state officers on the investigation.
"The FSL report has been filed. We need a month to probe it," the law officer said.
Mehta further said the Manipur High Court could hear the matter as "peace is prevailing now and the probe can go on".
After perusing the report, the CJI asked the law officer that he would have to speak to the officers about it.
The bench then posted the matter for a fresh report in the week of July 21.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), said the probe related to the former chief minister and it should be fair, the CJI said, "Now we have the President Rule there... it should not be a problem".
The matter was subsequently kept on August 4.
The state government earlier informed the bench that a forensic report on the authenticity of the leaked audio clips alleging the role of Singh in the ethnic violence was ready to be filed.
Singh resigned as the chief minister of Manipur on February 9, amid rumblings within the state BJP and growing demands for a change in leadership.
The top court had previously sought a sealed-cover forensic report from the CFSL on the authenticity of the leaked audio clips alleging Singh's role in the ethnic violence that began in May 2023.
KOHUR had sought a court-monitored SIT probe into Singh's alleged role.
Bhushan termed the contents of the audio leaks a "very serious matter" and said Singh was purportedly heard saying that Meitei groups were allowed to loot arms and ammunition of the state government.
On November 8 last year, a bench headed by former CJI D Y Chandrachud directed KOHUR to produce material to indicate the authenticity of some of the leaked audio clips.
Over 260 people were killed and thousands displaced since the ethnic violence broke out between the Imphal valley-based Meitei and neighbouring hills-based Kuki communities in May 2023.
The clashes began after a "Tribal Solidarity March" was organised in the hill districts to protest against an order of the Manipur High Court on the Meitei community's demand for scheduled tribe status.
Bhushan alleged that the recorded conversation prima facie showed the complicity and involvement of the state machinery in the violence against the Kuki Zo community.
He said the clips had "disturbing conversations" and Singh could be heard instigating the violence and protecting the attackers.
KOHUR's plea alleged that Singh was instrumental in "inciting, organising and thereafter centrally orchestrating the large-scale murder, destruction and other forms of violence against the Kuki-dominated areas in Manipur".