The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Central Forensic Science Laboratory to submit in a sealed cover a report on the audio clips allegedly linking Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh to the ethnic violence in the state, Live Law reported.
The order by a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar came on a petition by the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust. The organisation has sought an independent investigation into the audio recordings claiming that the tapes feature the chief minister taking credit for “how and why the conflict started”.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, told the court that the tapes had been examined by independent forensic laboratory Truth Labs. The laboratory had confirmed with 93% certainty that the voice heard in the recordings was that of the chief minister, he said.
In the recordings, a voice purported to be that of Singh is heard taking credit for “how and why the conflict started” bragging that he had defied Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s order against the use of “bombs” in the conflict and shielding individuals who snatched thousands of weapons from the state police armouries from arrest.
Bhushan claimed the chief minister’s alleged comments had been recorded by a person in a closed-door meeting and had leaked the tapes. He argued this was a “serious issue”, alleging Singh’s involvement in instigating and abetting the violence.
At least 258 persons have been killed and more than 59,000 persons displaced since the ethnic clashes broke out between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities in May 2023. There were periodic upticks in violence in 2024.
In August, the Manipur Police claimed that the clips were doctored and were being circulated online with the aim of inciting communal violence in the state and to “derail peace initiatives”.
Singh is also Manipur’s home minister, which brings the Manipur Police under his command.
On Monday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued in court that the petitioner must first approach the Manipur High Court.
He also informed the court that a first information report had been filed in the matter and an investigation was underway. The investigating agency had contacted the accounts on social media platform X that had uploaded the audio, for verification.
The tapes provided by the petitioner have been sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory for examination, The Hindu quoted Mehta as saying.
Mehta said the petitioner had a “separatist mindset” and was carrying “ideological baggage”, Live Law reported. He also noted that the Supreme Court-appointed judges’ panel had in November 2023 raised concerns about certain civil society organisations attempting to “keep the pot boiling” over the Manipur unrest.
When Khanna asked when the forensics report would be available, the solicitor general said that it could be produced before the court, Live Law reported.
Bhushan said that the report by Truth Labs would be more credible than a report by a government agency.
The bench listed the matter to be heard again in the week on March 24, saying that the court would look into whether the case needs to be referred to the High Court.
It noted that the audio clips had been sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory for examination and that the report would be submitted to the court in a sealed cover.
Earlier, a bench headed by DY Chandrachud, the chief justice at the time, had told the Kuki Organisation for Human Trust to produce materials proving the authenticity of the audio clips.
In response, the petitioner had submitted an analysis by Truth Lab.