The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the ongoing trials linked to the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur need to be expedited and sought a status report from authorities on the progress of the cases.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that the victims’ faith in the justice system was of “key importance” and stressed the need for confidence-building measures.
The bench was hearing a plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation against the bail granted by the Gauhati High Court to two accused- Arun Khundongbam and Nameirakpam Kiran Meitei, in a case related to the alleged gangrape and public parading of women during the violence.
“We are of the view that the ongoing trial needs to be expedited. We have asked the CBI and others to provide legal aid counsel who are well-versed in Manipuri to counsel the victims… The status of the ongoing trial must be filed in the next hearing,” the bench said.
Chargesheets filed in over 200 cases
Referring to reports submitted before the court, the bench noted that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had filed chargesheets in 207 cases against more than 400 accused persons.
Also read: Over 1,000 extortionists arrested in Manipur since unrest: DGP
The CBI informed the court that 20 chargesheets had been filed and trials had already commenced in 16 cases.
The court also took note of a report filed by former IPS officer Dattatray Padsalgikar, which described the law and order situation in Manipur as “precarious” in April this year, with incidents of violence continuing and the state police remaining under stress.
Bail challenge before SC
On September 8, 2025, the Gauhati High Court granted bail to the two accused, observing that they had spent two years in custody while charges were yet to be framed.
“While the accusations here are grave and shocking, this court cannot overlook that indefinite detention without trial amounts to pretrial punishment, which is impermissible in law,” the High Court had said.
The CBI later approached the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of the bail due to the seriousness of the allegations.
During Wednesday’s hearing, advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for some victims, argued that the same court had earlier acknowledged the heinous nature of the offences before granting bail on grounds of delay.
The ethnic violence in Manipur erupted on May 3, 2023, following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. More than 260 people were killed and thousands displaced in the clashes.
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