New Delhi | The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court to consider setting up exclusive courts to deal with cases arising from the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur that are being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana made the request while reviewing the progress of investigations and trials linked to the violence.

The court said the large number of witnesses involved in the cases warranted consideration of a dedicated judicial mechanism to ensure that proceedings move forward without being delayed by unrelated matters.

“Having regard to the total number of witnesses proposed to be examined, we request the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court to consider the feasibility of allowing the CBI/NIA court to exclusively deal with Manipur-related cases. Other cases be transferred to some other court,” the bench said.

The Supreme Court also suggested the possibility of establishing two separate exclusive courts – one to handle cases investigated by the CBI and another for those investigated by the NIA.

The Registrar General of the Gauhati High Court has been directed to submit a status report on the feasibility of the proposed arrangement before the next hearing.

The bench noted that Special Judges are already handling CBI and NIA cases but said it needed clarity on whether these courts were exclusively dealing with cases related to the Manipur violence or were also burdened with other matters.

The court further directed the authorities to compile details of cases in which chargesheets have been filed, including case numbers and the status of proceedings. The information is intended to ensure that victims, their families and their legal counsel have access to relevant case records and proceedings.

CBI files 22 chargesheets in 31 cases

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the bench that the CBI had been entrusted with 31 cases arising from the Manipur violence.

Final reports have been filed in 27 cases, including 22 chargesheets and five closure reports, while four cases remain under investigation.

Of the 22 cases in which the CBI has filed chargesheets, courts have taken cognisance in 20, while cognisance is pending in two cases.

Only one of the chargesheeted cases is triable by a magistrate, while the remaining cases are to be tried by Sessions courts.

All the CBI cases have been transferred to Gauhati, Bhati told the court.

NIA chargesheets 15 of 30 cases

The NIA, which was entrusted with 30 cases connected with the violence, has filed chargesheets in 15 cases, while investigations are continuing in the remaining 15.

Charges have already been framed in seven of the 15 chargesheeted cases.

Of these 15 NIA cases, two are pending before a court in Delhi, five before courts in Gauhati and eight in Manipur.

The court also considered concerns raised by senior advocate Vrinda Grover over victims and their families not having adequate access to status reports and chargesheets.

The bench directed the authorities to compile and place the relevant case particulars on record so that affected families and their legal representatives can access information concerning the proceedings.

Court stresses uninterrupted investigations

The Supreme Court also took note of security-related issues highlighted in a status report, including incidents involving Assam Rifles personnel, damage to public infrastructure, road blockades and protests linked to demands concerning the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The bench said the sensitive law-and-order situation should not obstruct ongoing investigations by the CBI and NIA.

It directed the Manipur government and central security agencies to provide the necessary support and coordination to ensure that the two agencies can continue their investigations without interruption.

The court also stressed the need to maintain adequate security, including ensuring the safety of students, amid continuing law-and-order concerns.

The ethnic violence in Manipur erupted on May 3, 2023, following a Tribal Solidarity March in the hill districts against a demand for Scheduled Tribe status for the majority Meitei community.

The prolonged conflict has claimed more than 200 lives, injured several hundred people and displaced thousands since the violence began.

The Supreme Court’s proposed dedicated-court mechanism is aimed at enabling the large number of CBI and NIA cases arising from the violence to proceed in a more focused manner while ensuring that victims and their families have better access to the judicial process.