Manipur Govt Disburses ₹5 Crores to Women Victims Compensation Fund, Informs SC

The Manipur Government has informed the Supreme Court on the disbursement of ₹5 crores to the Women Victims Compensation Fund, established to provide compensation to women who were victims of the strife-torn state.

A bench of CJI D Y Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra had asked the state government to submit a fresh status report detailing compensation, issuance of Aadhar cards, access to justice, and other relevant information related to women affected by violence in Manipur.

The bench was hearing a batch of petitions related to the ongoing violence in the state of Manipur.

In response to the court’s directives, a status report was submitted on November 19, stating, “Women Victims Compensation Fund had already been created for disbursement of compensation under the Manipur Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault/other Crimes, 2023. An amount of Rs. 5 crores had been credited to their dedicated Bank Account operated by Member Secretary, MASLSA for releasing of compensation by Manipur State Legal Services Authority/District Collectors/competent authorities.”

Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing one of the petitioners, raised concerns about lawyers from a specific community being hindered from appearing in person before the High Court. In response, the state informed the court that the High Court of Manipur has identified 16 locations as e-sewa kendras to facilitate virtual appearances. The High Court Bar Association also stated that no lawyer is being denied access to court proceedings.

In the previous hearing, Chief Justice Chandrachud expressed worry about illegal entrants to the state and stressed the importance of verification. Consequently, the bench directed that Aadhaar cards be provided to all displaced persons with records available at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) after verification. The State of Manipur has now informed the Supreme Court that “so far 3,928 Aadhaar cards have been recreated for people staying in relief camps by opening special aadhaar camps.”