SC expresses shock over deaths in relief camps in Manipur, asks chief secretary to respond

The Supreme Court expressed shock over 34 unnatural deaths at Manipur's IDP camps, questioning the state's failure to investigate crimes and conduct post-mortems. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed the state chief secretary to provide an affidavit on incidents, particularly unnatural deaths.

A committee headed by retired Justice Gita Mittal reported the chief secretary's response as unsatisfactory, following a June news report on 25 unnatural IDP deaths. In July, a nodal officer informed the panel that 34 of 640 relief camp deaths were unnatural. The court criticized the chief secretary for not registering criminal cases and conducting post-mortems in more cases.

It also condemned the state's payment of petty compensation for unnatural deaths, when over ₹5 lakh was paid in similar cases. The court ordered the Manipur Legal Services Authority to register cases promptly and ensure IDP safety and dignity. It also sought information on 42 special investigation teams probing 3,020 violence-related cases.

While 1,135 cases are still under investigation, only 33 trials have commenced. The court also sought a separate CBI court in Guwahati to exclusively handle Manipur violence matters, as the current court handles other CBI cases. The ethnic violence in Manipur began in 2023 and has involved almost every community, with over 306 people dead and 49 missing since May 2023.