NEW DELHI: To restore the rule of law and address humanitarian concerns in violence-stricken Manipur, the Supreme Court has constituted a committee of three ex-judges, with the eminent Justice Gita Mittal at the helm, on August 7. This committee will focus on critical aspects such as relief, rehabilitation, and remedial measures.
Hearing a batch of pleas relating to the strife in Manipur, the esteemed bench, comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said that there is a need to reinstate justice and order in the state.
Justice Shalini Joshi, a distinguished retired judge from the Bombay High Court, and Justice Asha Menon, an esteemed former judge of the Delhi High Court, will also be part of this trailblazing committee, adding their valuable expertise to the mission.
However, it is noteworthy that the Supreme Court clarified that no Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be formed. Instead, the court will appoint former IPS officer, Dattatray Padsalgikar, to oversee the investigation and report back to them.
For the cases related to gender violence, which have been transferred to the CBI by the state government, the court mandated the presence of five officials, not below the rank of deputy SP, to be deputed to the central agency. These officers, nominated by the Director General of Police from various states, will function within the CBI’s administrative setup, ensuring unbiased investigation.
Additionally, in relation to other FIRs registered in Manipur, the state government will form 42 SITs at the district level, each headed by an officer not below the rank of SP. These SITs will be supervised by seven DIG rank officials from different states, with each officer monitoring six SITs to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the investigation process.
The state government, in conjunction with the SITs, will be closely monitored by DIG, IG, and additional DG rank officials on a weekly basis, while the Director General of Police himself will oversee the investigations fortnightly, highlighting the seriousness and gravity with which the matter is being approached.
