Centre extends deadline for inquiry commission headed by Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan; panel is examining the sequence of events, administrative lapses and the response to the 2023 clashes
KRC TIMES Manipur Bureau
Imphal | The Centre has granted a seventh six-month extension to the Commission of Inquiry investigating the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur, pushing the deadline for submission of its final report to May 20, 2027.
A Union Home Ministry notification, published in the Gazette, directed the three-member commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan to complete its investigation and submit its findings as early as possible, but no later than the revised deadline.
The latest extension comes despite the commission having been constituted more than three years ago, on June 4, 2023, following a recommendation by the Manipur government. The previous deadline for submission of the report was May 20, 2026.
The commission was initially headed by former Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajai Lamba. Justice Chauhan assumed charge on March 1, 2026, after Justice Lamba resigned with effect from February 28.
The panel is tasked with examining the sequence of events and circumstances surrounding the outbreak of ethnic violence on May 3, 2023. The prolonged conflict between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities has claimed more than 260 lives, left hundreds injured and displaced thousands of people. Widespread arson and attacks on homes and properties also marked the violence.
The immediate trigger for the clashes was a tribal solidarity march organised in the hill districts to oppose the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. However, tensions had already been building over issues including the eviction of villagers from different locations and reserve forest areas.
Under its terms of reference, the commission is examining whether there were administrative failures or dereliction of duty by public authorities and other individuals. It is also reviewing the adequacy of preventive and response measures taken during the violence, besides considering complaints and representations submitted by individuals and organisations.
With the deadline now extended until May 2027, the commission has another six months to complete its examination of the events and submit findings that could shed light on the circumstances behind one of the most prolonged episodes of ethnic violence in the Northeast.
