The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed concern over alleged unnatural deaths and cases of sexual harassment in Manipur’s relief camps. Reprimanding the state government, the court ordered the Chief Secretary of Manipur to file a detailed report on all 25 suspicious deaths, including post-mortem reports and documents related to the causes of death.
Directing the Manipur Legal Services Authority to take immediate action, the Supreme Court ordered it to ensure that FIRs are registered for all suspicious deaths and that proper investigations into the causes of death are conducted. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana was hearing petitions concerning the investigation and proceedings of sexual violence cases linked to the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the court that 42 Special Investigation Teams (SITs) have been constituted across eight districts. A total of 3,020 cases are under investigation; charge sheets have been filed in 302 cases, and closure reports in 1,583 cases.
