SC seeks fresh report from Manipur on probe into alleged audio clips of ex-CM Biren Singh
After perusing the report, the CJI asked the law officer that he will have to speak to the officers about it.
"The solicitor general to take fresh instructions on filing a fresh report after re-examination.
Let it be relisted in the week commencing July 21, 2025," the bench ordered.
When lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), said the probe pertains 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". He then adjourned the hearing on the plea of KOHUR.
Earlier, the state government had informed the bench that a forensic report on the authenticity of leaked audio clips alleging the role of Singh in the ethnic violence was ready and will 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 of leadership.
Earlier, the top court 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.
"I have annexed transcripts of tape recordings," he added.
The solicitor general said the petitioner had "ideological inclinations" and there was a report by a committee of three high court judges which stated that there were efforts to keep the "pot boiling".
"A truth lab confirmed that 93 percent it is the voice of the chief minister," Bhushan said, adding "truth labs are far more reliable than the FSL reports."
The law officer, however, questioned the veracity of the truth lab report.
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.
Bhushan had said he would also file a copy of the tape in a CD format.
Mehta, however, said the plea could be filed in the high court under Article 226 of the Constitution.
More than 260 people have been 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".
"Petitioner is praying for a court-monitored investigation by special investigation team into the leaked audio tape clips as there is clear and strong prima facie evidence showing involvement of the highest functionary, i.e., chief minister of a state.
The investigation would need to unearth the conspiracy which appears to involve the highest functionary of state," it said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
19 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Making cuts in implementation of MGNREGA crime against Constitution: Kharge
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday alleged that the Modi government is trying to destroy MGNREGA and said making cuts in the implementation of this scheme is a "crime against the Constitution". The Congress president shared on X a media report which claimed that for the first time, the government has capped spending under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) at 60 per cent of its annual allocation for the first half of the financial year 2025-26. In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said, "The Modi government is trying to destroy MGNREGA, the lifeline of the poor. The Modi government has now fixed the limit of MGNREGA expenditure at 60% for the first 6 months of the year". Making cuts in the implementation of MGNREGA, which ensures the Right to Work under the Constitution, is a "crime against the Constitution", he said. Posing questions from the Congress' side, Kharge asked whether the Modi government is doing this only because it wants to snatch about Rs 25,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, which it has to spend separately in the next financial year when the demand is high at the end of the year. "Since MGNREGA is a demand-driven scheme, what happens if there is a surge in demand during the first half in case of disasters or adverse weather conditions? Will not imposing such a cap hurt the poor who depend on MGNREGA for their livelihood?" Kharge said. What happens if the limit is crossed and will states be forced to deny employment despite demand, or will workers have to work without payment, he asked. Is it not true that according to a recent report, only 7 per cent of families have received the promised 100 days of work, Kharge further asked. "Why were nearly 7 crore registered workers excluded from MGNREGA on the condition of AADHAAR based payment? Why was the MGNREGA budget allocated the least in the total budget in 10 years? Why is the anti-poor Modi government hell-bent on oppressing MGNREGA workers?" he said. The axing of expenditure on MGNREGA is a severe blow inflicted by the Modi government on the lives of every poor, Kharge said, adding the Congress will vehemently oppose this. "We are firm on our two demands -- First, a minimum wage of Rs 400 per day should be fixed for MGNREGA workers. Second, there should be employment for at least 150 days in a year," he said.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
The many firsts in Bihar elections – phone deposit areas, fewer voters per booth, faster polling
As Bihar prepares for the Assembly elections later this year, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is rolling out several initiatives that will make a debut in the state. 'The ECI is focusing on making voting easier, faster and fairer, and the electoral process more inclusive,' ECI assistant director Apurva Kumar Singh said. 'We're introducing changes based on past feedback, many debuting with the Bihar elections.' For the first time, polling booths will feature mobile deposit facilities – a response to complaints from voters struggling to manage their phones. 'This will ease their burden, especially for those voting alone,' Singh said. The ECI will also cap the number of voters per polling station at 1,200, down from 1,500, to 'cut congestion, reduce waiting times and speed up voting'. Additional booths will be set up in high-rise buildings and residential colonies, targeting densely populated urban pockets, a tactic borrowed from recent Lok Sabha successes in many cities. Voter Information Slips are also getting a makeover. The ECI expects to trim 20-30 seconds off each voter's processing time by enlarging the serial and part numbers for easier readability, leading to shorter queues and smoother voting. Updating the electoral roll is on the ECI's priority list, with a first-of-its-kind Special Summary Revision (SSR) planned ahead of by-elections – the first in nearly two decades. To address outdated entries, the ECI will utilise the Registrar General of India's (RGI) death registration database. 'Using death registration data from the RGI, followed by door-to-door checks, we will keep updating the electoral roll. Deletion is a sensitive issue. We won't remove names without ground verification,' Singh said. For the first time, booth-level agents, including those from 11 Bihar-based parties, have been trained at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in Delhi, where all the election-related officials are trained. 'Political parties are our biggest stakeholders, along with the voters,' Singh said. The canvassing distance norm has been slashed to 100 meters from polling station entrances to balance visibility and order. The ECINET dashboard, a single-app solution replacing over 40 existing platforms, will also launch during the Bihar elections. Duplicate EPIC number issues have also been resolved, ensuring every voter gets a unique identifier, the ECI officer said. Election staff are not being left behind. Booth-level officers (BLOs) will now carry standard photo ID cards – another first – to foster trust and ease public interaction. 'Not having proper IDs was a hurdle,' Singh said. Apart from this, over 3,000 booth-level supervisors, including those from Bihar, have been trained at IIIDEM, with plans to train one lakh more nationwide. Similarly, training for a batch of police officers has been conducted at the institute. The ECI assistant director said that the poll body is also considering orientation for media personnel throughout the country at IIIDEM, in batches, starting with Bihar-based journalists to sharpen election reporting and voter education efforts. The electoral body aims to increase voter turnout to the national average of 66.10%, up from Bihar's 56.28% in the last Lok Sabha elections.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Punjab political leaders against ‘One Nation, One Election' proposal
The 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE) proposal promoted by the BJP-led Central government, which seeks to hold simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State/Union Territory Legislative Assemblies, has sparked significant debate in Punjab amid concerns over weakening of federalism, regional autonomy and democratic principles. On June 14, members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on ONOE met leaders of political parties of the State in Chandigarh. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Indian National Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) firmly expressed their reservations to the proposal and opposed the idea of ONOE. The SAD, a century-old party, highlighted several concerns and pointed out that the proposed Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, would weaken the State's autonomy. 'The Bill would cause more harm than improvement. Article 356 was the root cause of the disruption of simultaneous elections in the country. In case Article 356 is not done away with, the election schedule would be disrupted again, so what's the point of this Bill? Also, the insertion of Article 82 A clause 5 empowers the Election Commission of India to defer elections to Legislative Assemblies. This can be misused against opposition parties anytime,' it said. Opposing the idea of ONOE, the Congress's leaders, including State president Amarinder Singh and Partap Singh Bajwa, the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, presented the party's case before the committee. 'One Nation, One Election goes against the basic concept of federalism that has been guaranteed by the Constitution of India,' the State president said, pointing out that parliamentary and Assembly elections were held on entirely different issues. 'The idea of imposing simultaneous elections to Parliament and the State Assemblies will mean imposing dictatorship by default. The regional and local issues that gain prominence during the Assembly elections will be ignored and suppressed. The regional and local aspirations will get muzzled down,' Mr. Singh said. Strong objections The ruling AAP in Punjab raised strong objections to ONOE, terming it 'a direct assault on the fundamental structure and spirit of the Constitution of India'. Pointing out that the proposed Bill would effectively render the tenures of State Assemblies subject to the discretion of the Union government, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the BJP's attempt was an alarming overreach incompatible with the federal framework enshrined in the Constitution. Mr. Cheema said the proposals in the Bill would destabilise the balance of power essential to India's democratic fabric. 'The One Nation, One Election Bill proposed by the BJP is a calculated move to eliminate regional parties that represent diverse cultures, languages, and regions, and serve as the backbone of Indian democracy.' BJP leaders, meanwhile, argue that simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State/Union Territory Legislative Assemblies would reduce election-related expenses and boost governance continuity.
