In a significant development, the Supreme Court has upheld its earlier decision to transfer the trials of the Manipur ethnic violence cases to Guwahati, Assam, and extended the term of a committee set up to oversee the relief and rehabilitation of the affected individuals. The committee, comprising former High Court judges, will continue to function until July 31, 2025, to ensure a fair and just process for the victims of the violence.
The development comes as the court took note of a lawyer’s submissions regarding the fate of the cases, which were transferred to Guwahati for pre-trial proceedings. The court clarified that the trials of the transferred cases will be held before the courts in Guwahati. The transfer was necessitated by the sensitive nature of the cases, which include the sexual assault of two women caught on camera, as well as other heinous crimes such as molestation, rape, and murder.
The violence, which broke out in May 2023, has claimed over 200 lives, injured hundreds, and displaced thousands. The Supreme Court had set up the rehabilitation committee, chaired by former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Justice Gita Mittal, to oversee the relief and rehabilitation efforts. The committee, which also comprises former Bombay High Court judge Shalini P Joshi and former Delhi High Court judge Asha Menon, was initially given an extension until February 2025, but the Supreme Court has now extended its term until July 31, 2025.
The court has also directed the Manipur government to provide detailed information on the number of properties that were fully or partially burnt, looted, or encroached upon during the violence. The report is expected to provide specific details on the owners and current occupants of these properties, as well as the steps being taken to restore them. The court has also asked the government to provide information on the number of families receiving temporary and permanent housing, as recommended by the rehabilitation committee.
The Supreme Court had initially directed the transfer of 27 cases to Guwahati, including the sexual assault case of the two women seen in a viral video. The cases include allegations of molestation, rape, and murder, as well as the loot of weapons and other heinous crimes. The court has also directed the Gauhati High Court to nominate one or more judicial officers to deal with the transferred cases.
