Manipur Govt Files Status Report on Arms Recovery in SC

The Manipur government on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it has filed a status report regarding the recovery of arms from “all sources” in the state, which has been grappling with ethnic violence.

Solicitior General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government informed a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra that the report has been filed and is meant for the judges’ only. He also mentioned the submission of another brief affidavit on the matter.

Mehta informed the bench that that the affidavit states that “the issues under debate have already been brought to the notice of the (apex court-appointed) committee,” which is currently reviewing them. The Supreme Court had previously appointed a committee of judges, led by Justice (retired) Gita Mittal, to oversee the relief and rehabilitation efforts for victims of ethnic violence in Manipur.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, representing the petitioners, informed the bench that the bodies of two women who were gang-raped and killed in Manipur in May have not yet been released to their families. Mehta stated that the committee appointed by the Supreme Court has already taken note of this and has issued directions to the authorities.

The bench scheduled the matter for further hearing on September 25, 2023.

Earlier, on September 6, the Supreme Court had directed the Manipur government and law enforcement agencies to submit a status report on the recovery of arms from “all sources” in the state. This direction came in response to concerns that, in addition to illegal arms, a substantial cache of arms and ammunition had been stolen from police stations and army depots in Manipur.

The Chief Justice emphasized that the status report on arms recovery should only be available to the court, highlighting the sensitivity of the issue and the need for discretion in sharing such information. The bench also issued additional directions, including instructing the Union home secretary to coordinate with Justice (retired) Mittal to finalize the selection of experts to assist the committee.

Manipur has been grappling with violence since May, sparked by a high court order instructing the state government to consider including the non-tribal Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes. This decision led to widespread ethnic clashes, resulting in over 160 fatalities and numerous injuries. The violence began on May 3 during a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organized in hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.