NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday said the trial of the Manipur ethnic violence cases, probed by the CBI, would be conducted in Assam capital Guwahati, where they were transferred to earlier. “We clarify that the trial of transferred Cases will be held before the courts at Guwahati,” a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, said and posted the matter for further hearing to July 21.
The apex court also extended till July 31 the tenure of a committee headed by Justice Gita Mittal, the former chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. The committee, also comprising former Bombay HC judge Shalini P Joshi and former Delhi HC judge Asha Menon, was set up on August 7, 2023 by the top court to oversee relief and rehabilitation of the Manipur ethnic violence victims.
During the hearing on Monday, the apex court also directed the Manipur government to provide details such as “buildings burnt or partially burnt, buildings looted, buildings trespassed or encroached upon”. The bench noted the submissions of a lawyer over the fate of the trials in the cases that were transferred to Guwahati for pre-trial proceedings on August 25, 2023.
Keeping in mind the overall environment in Manipur and the need for ensuring a fair process of criminal justice administration, the SC transferred to Assam 27 cases with various offences, including the case of sexual assault of two women seen in a viral video being paraded naked.
While passing directions, the top court had directed the Gauhati High Court chief justice to nominate one or more judicial officers to deal with the transferred cases. It also asked the state government to respond to the issue of release of funds for temporary and permanent housing as flagged by the judges’ panel.
The top court is seized of a batch of pleas relating to the violence in Manipur between Meitei and Kuki communities.
Also in top court
Centre given time for delimitation exercise
The Supreme Court on Monday granted three months to the Centre for carrying out the delimitation exercise in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Assam. A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna noted the request of Centre’s solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who sought some more time.
Justice Bagchi takes oath as SC judge
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Monday administered the oath of office to Justice Joymalya Bagchi, a senior judge of the Calcutta High Court, as a Supreme Court judge. The CJI administered the oath to Justice Bagchi in the presence of other Supreme Court judges at a ceremony on the apex court premises.