The Centre has appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan as the new chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) investigating the incidents of violence in Manipur.
The appointment follows the resignation of Justice Ajai Lamba, which will take effect from February 28, according to an official order issued on Thursday.
As per the notification released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Justice Chauhan will formally assume charge of the Commission on March 1.
The order stated that the change in leadership comes “consequent upon the acceptance of resignation” of Justice Lamba from the post of chairperson of the Commission constituted to inquire into matters of public importance relating to the Manipur violence.
The government has not disclosed the reasons behind Justice Lamba’s decision to step down from the post, to which he was appointed on June 3, 2023, a report said.
However, the notification clarified that apart from the change in chairperson, the structure and functioning of the Commission will remain unchanged.
Retired IAS officer Himanshu Shekhar Das and former IPS officer Aloka Prabhakar will continue as members of the Commission, which is headquartered in Imphal.
The Centre has fixed May 20 as the deadline for submission of the Commission’s final report.
The inquiry panel was originally given six months from the date of its first sitting to complete its work, but the timeline has been extended multiple times.
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The deadline was initially set for November 20, 2024, then extended to May 20, 2025, November 20, 2025, and finally to May 2026.
The Commission’s mandate includes a comprehensive examination of the causes and spread of the violence that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, the sequence of events leading up to the unrest, and the circumstances surrounding the riots affecting different communities.
It is also tasked with probing any lapses or dereliction of duty by authorities or individuals, and assessing the adequacy of administrative measures taken to prevent and manage the violence.
With Justice Chauhan taking over as chairperson, the Commission will continue its inquiry under the existing terms of reference, as it moves towards the final phase of its investigation.
