Manipur: SC Directs State Govt to Submit Status Report on Arms Recovery

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Manipur government and law enforcement agencies to submit a status report regarding the recovery of arms from all sources in the state, which has been marred by ethnic violence.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also acknowledged the affidavit submitted by the Manipur chief secretary, affirming that there is an adequate supply of essential commodities like food and medicines for those affected by the economic blockade. The chief secretary disputed claims made by lawyers representing petitioners regarding the outbreak of chickenpox and measles in relief camps.

The court stated, “The chief secretary of Manipur has submitted an affidavit addressing the availability of rations and essential goods, including in Moreh, and the alleged outbreaks of measles and chickenpox in Moreh. The chief secretary has outlined the measures taken to distribute rations in nine camps. If there are any remaining grievances related to specific instances, these should be brought to the attention of the district administration. Such grievances should be promptly addressed.”

On the issue of arms recovery, the court directed the government to provide a status report, which will be made available only to the court.

Issuing a bunch of fresh directions, the three-judge bench directed the Union home secretary to coordinate with Justice (retired) Gita Mittal, the chairperson of the court-appointed three-member panel overseeing relief and rehabilitation efforts in Manipur, to finalize the selection of experts to assist the committee. The state government was also directed to nominate an officer for interaction with the committee. Furthermore, the Manipur government was instructed to submit a status report detailing the steps taken to align the state’s victim compensation scheme with the NALSA (National Legal Services Authority) scheme.

In response to references made about lawyers in the affidavit submitted by the chief secretary, the court clarified, “Any references to counsel in the affidavit should not be construed as comments on the counsel. We clarify that counsel appearing before the court do so as officers of the court and are accountable to this court.”

Regarding the handling of unclaimed bodies, the court emphasized that the government must decide how to dispose of them in a dignified manner to prevent the spread of diseases.

The court said, “The bodies cannot remain in the morgue indefinitely as it can lead to an outbreak.” On September 1, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre and the state government to ensure uninterrupted supplies of basic necessities like food and medicine to areas in Manipur facing an economic blockade.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and the Manipur government, stated that nodal officers had been appointed to facilitate the functioning of the court-appointed all-women committee of judges overseeing relief and rehabilitation efforts in the state. The committee, chaired by Justice (retired) Mittal, includes Justices (retired) Shalini P Joshi and Asha Menon.

Manipur has been embroiled in violence since May due to a high court order directing the state government to consider including the non-tribal Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes. This decision triggered ethnic clashes, resulting in numerous casualties and injuries.