Manipur violence: State govt files report in SC on recovery of arms

NEW DELHI: The Manipur government on Friday filed a status report before the Supreme Court on the issue of recovery of stolen or missing weapons and ammunition “from all sources” in the ethnic violence-hit State.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was informed by the Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta that the confidential status report has been filed on the issue and it is for the judges only.

The bench agreed to accept the report confidentially as the issue regarding the weapons was “extremely sensitive”. CJI Chandrachud said, “Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the issue, the status report (on recovery of arms) shall be made available only to this court.”

The CJI, however, made it clear that he, personally as a judge, was averse to filing any such documents which are not available to litigants.

Earlier, the apex court had asked the Manipur government and the law enforcement agencies to file a status report on the "recovery of arms made from all sources” in the State. The top court’s direction came after it was submitted before the bench that besides illegal ones, a huge cache of arms and ammunition were stolen from police stations and army depots in the State.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the Kuki community side, told the top court that the bodies of two women, who were gang-raped and killed in May in Manipur, have not been given to their families yet.

The Solicitor General said the apex court-appointed committee has already taken cognisance of this and has issued directions to the authorities. The Supreme Court had earlier appointed a judges committee, headed by Justice (retd) Gita Mittal and also comprising Justices (retd) Shalini P Joshi and Asha Menon to oversee the relief and rehabilitation of victims of ethnic violence in the state.

The bench then posted the matter relating to violence in Manipur for hearing on September 25. The top court is seized of the cases relating to the violence in Manipur between Meitei and Kuki communities.

The violence in Manipur between the Meiteis and the tribal Kuki erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3. Violence has gripped the entire state since May and the Central government had to deploy paramilitary forces to bring the situation under control.