Report on authenticity of audio clips on Biren’s role in Manipur violence ready, Centre tells SC

A forensic report on the authenticity of leaked audio clips alleging the role of former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the ethnic violence in the state was ready and would be filed soon in a sealed cover, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Thursday.

Taking note of the submissions of a counsel appearing for the Centre and the state government to this effect, a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna deferred the hearing on Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust’s (KOHUR) petition to the week commencing May 5.

Stating that the report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) will be filed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the counsel sought an adjournment, saying the law officer was unavailable at the moment.

More than 260 persons have been killed and thousands displaced since ethnic violence broke out between the Imphal valley-based Meitei and neighbouring hills-based Kuki communities in May 2023. The clashes began after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against an order of the Manipur High Court on the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribes status.

Singh resigned as the CM on February 9, amid rumblings within the state BJP and growing demands for a change of leadership.

The top court had sought a sealed-cover forensic report from the CFSL on the authenticity of the leaked audio clips, alleging Singh’s role in the ethnic violence. KOHUR, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, had sought a court-monitored SIT probe into Singh’s alleged role.

“The state is gradually limping back to normalcy and we will keep it (the matter) on hold at the moment," the CJI had said, adding he would see later whether the top court or the high court should hear the case.

Bhushan termed the contents of the audio leaks a “very serious matter". He claimed that Singh was purportedly heard saying that Meitei groups were allowed to loot arms and ammunition of the state government. “I have annexed transcripts of tape recordings," he added.

The solicitor general said the petitioner had “ideological inclinations" and there was a report by a committee of three high court judges that stated that there were efforts to keep the “pot boiling".

“A truth lab confirmed that 93 percent, it is the voice of the CM," said Bhushan, adding that truth labs were far more reliable than the FSL reports.

Mehta, however, questioned the veracity of the truth lab report.

India