The Supreme Court on Monday heard a batch of petitions pertaining to ethnic violence in Manipur where the N Biren Singh government recommended setting up Special Investigation Teams (SITs) headed by the district Superintendent of Police (SP) to probe cases. Manipur Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Singh also appeared before a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud as ordered by the top court to answer questions on the ethnic violence as well as reveal steps taken by the administration so far.


Hearing pleas on the Manipur ethnic violence, the apex court appointed a committee of three former High Court judges to look at the investigation as well as relief measures on a broad level. On the investigation front, CJI Chandrachud also proposed that at least five officers of rank at least Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy SP) be brought into by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from various states for the probe in the 11 cases being handled by the central agency.

For investigations by the SITs, the D Y Chandrachud-led bench recommended bringing six DIG Rank officers from outside the state for supervision.


ALSO READ | Manipur Violence: SC Forms All-Women Panel Of Former Judges, Appoints Ex-Mumbai Top Cop To Oversee CBI Probe


Manipur Violence: Supreme Court's Directions For CBI And SIT Cases — Top Points



  • The committee of three former HC judges will be headed by Justice Gita Mittal and include Justice Shalini Joshi and Justice Asha Menon. It will look at the broad aspects of the investigation, relief and remedial measures, compensation, and rehabilitation.


  • The Supreme Court said that on the investigation part, cases have been transferred to the CBI, but to ensure faith in the rule of law, it proposed to direct that there shall be five officers of rank at least Deputy SP who will be brought into CBI from various states. These officers will also be functioning within the four corners of the infrastructure and administrative structure of CBI, news agency ANI reported.


  • "We will ask the Director General of Police from the states where Hindi is spoken... and have 5 officers to be brought on deputation to the CBI to oversee the investigation into these FIRs. These officers will also function within four corners of the administrative setup of the CBI and will be supervised by the joint director of the CBI," legal news platform Bar & Bench reported the Chief Justice of India as stating.


  • Earlier, Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union and the state government, submitted the report told the apex court that the Manipur government has proposed to set up SITs, headed by the Superintendent of Police, at the district level to probe sensitive cases, besides 11 cases that will be investigated by the CBI.


  • CJI Chandrachud said that former police officer Dattatray Padsalgikar will head another layer of supervision and will report back to the bench pertaining to the 42 SITs looking at cases that have not been transferred to CBI.


  • The SIT investigations will also be supervised by six DIG Rank officers from outside the state of Manipur.

    "So far as state investigation is concerned there will be about 42 SITs which will look at cases not transferred to CBI... you have said murder cases to be looked into by SIT headed by officer not below the rank of SP.. for these SITs.. where inspectors will be brought in.. what we will do that..from where we get these officers to CBI..one inspector from that state will also be brought in by MHA in those 42 SITs so that one officer outside the state is there in each of those cases. These 42 SITs should be supervised by 6 DIG Rank officers from outside the state of Manipur... each officer will oversee 6 SITs," the CJI said, as quoted by Bar & Bench.


  • As per Bar & Bench, the CJI suggested that offences must be registered under the correct sections and said that his bench will ask for a report from the panel chaired by Justice Mittal and the committee by former IPS Dattatray Padsalgikar. He also mentioned that adequate security should be provided for the committee of former HC judges.


In SC Hearing, Manipur Govt Recommends Setting Up 6 SITs In Each District Where Violence Erupted


During the hearing today, R Venkataramani and Tushar Mehta submitted the report sought by the SC bench on August 1 on issues including the segregation of cases, news agency PTI reported.


“The government is handling the situation at a very mature level,” the Attorney General told the bench which also comprised justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, as quoted by PTI.


"In case of murders, it will be investigated by SP and other senior officers. For sexual offenses, there will be woman officers. For other offenses, it will be DySP, etc. There will be six SITs in each district where there was violence," Bar & Bench reported the Attorney General as saying.


According to ANI, he said the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) and DGP will supervise these investigations.


Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that the CBI will probe 12 FIRs relating to crimes against women in Manipur during violence and as and when such crimes come to light during the investigation, the central agency will investigate those cases as well, ANI reported.



Previously, the top court on August 1 observed that there was a complete breakdown of law and order and constitutional machinery in Manipur. It had pulled up the state police for a “tardy” and “lethargic” probe of incidents of ethnic violence, especially those targeting women, summoning the DGP to answer its queries on August 7.


The Union government had urged the CJI-led bench that instead of the two FIRs related to a video showing women being paraded naked by a mob, 11 out of 6,523 FIRs linked to violence against women and children may be transferred to the CBI and tried out of Manipur.


The Supreme Court is hearing around 10 pleas relating to violence seeking reliefs, including court-monitored investigation, into cases besides measures for rehabilitation and other reliefs.


Subscribe And Follow ABP Live On Telegram: https://t.me/officialabplive