Manipur violence: Petition filed in Supreme Court for SIT probe, tribal communities seek justice

New Delhi, 7 May (Zoram News): On May 8, the Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud-led bench is scheduled to hear a plea filed by a Delhi-based organization representing Manipur tribal communities, seeking the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the violent attacks in the northeastern state.

The petition, filed urgently on May 6, has been listed for hearing before a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Chandrachud, Justices P.S. Narasimha, and J.B. Pardiwala. The Manipur Tribal Forum, through its advocates Satya Mitra and Colin Gonsalves, alleged that the situation in the state is "extreme" and that the "attacks had the full support of the party in power in the state as well as the Centre which supports the dominant group and has planned the attacks on account of a non-secular agenda".

The petition also claimed that the violence has spread beyond Manipur, with Kukis in Delhi and Meghalaya also coming under attack by the "dominant community". The forum alleged that armed groups were seen roving with semi-automatic weapons, doing house searches in Manipur.

The petition has asked the Supreme Court to order an SIT to conduct an inquiry into the burnt villages and assess the value of the property destroyed in the violence. The forum has listed at least 58 villages in this regard and demanded compensation and reconstruction of the churches.

The petition further alleged that 30 tribals were killed and 132 injured in the violence, and no FIR was registered nor was any investigation taking place, as the police itself is allegedly on the side of the dominant community.

The forum has requested the court to direct an SIT headed by a former DGP of Assam to investigate and prosecute the crimes. Additionally, the tribal body has alleged that the conditions of tribal people sheltered in six CRPF camps are "deplorable and pathetic" and requested a direction to take them back to their homes in the hill districts.

The Bench is also set to hear a separate plea filed by Dinganglung Gangmei, the Chairman of the Hill Areas Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly. The petition challenges a State High Court order granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community, alleging that the High Court order led to the Meitei-Kuki clashes in Manipur.