New Delhi: The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that a forensic report on the authenticity of leaked audio clips implicating former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in ethnic violence has been completed and will be submitted shortly in a sealed cover.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna acknowledged the Centre’s update and deferred hearing a plea from the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) to the week commencing May 5.
The plea seeks a court-monitored investigation into Singh’s alleged involvement.
The government’s counsel stated that the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) report would be presented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was currently unavailable.
Singh resigned as chief minister on February 9 amid internal dissent within the BJP and rising calls for leadership change.
The Supreme Court had previously requested a sealed forensic report from CFSL to ascertain the authenticity of the audio clips, which purportedly feature Singh making incendiary remarks during the violence that erupted in May 2023.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing KOHUR, emphasised the gravity of the leaked recordings, which allegedly include statements suggesting that Meitei groups were allowed to loot state arms and ammunition.
Bhushan argued for an independent special investigation team (SIT) to probe the matter.
Bhushan also referred to a “truth lab” analysis, claiming a 93% match with Singh’s voice, and asserted that such labs are often more reliable than standard forensic reports. The law officer, however, contested the reliability of the truth lab findings.
The petitioner alleged that the leaked conversations reveal complicity by the state machinery in the violence against the Kuki Zo community, accusing Singh of instigating and protecting perpetrators.
The ethnic clashes, which began in May 2023, have claimed over 260 lives and displaced thousands.
Violence erupted following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in the hill districts to protest a Manipur High Court order on the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
KOHUR’s petition describes the violence as centrally orchestrated, with Singh allegedly playing a key role in organizing and inciting large-scale attacks on Kuki-dominated areas.
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The plea calls for an SIT probe to uncover the conspiracy and the involvement of high-ranking officials, including Singh.
The Supreme Court previously directed KOHUR to provide evidence verifying the authenticity of the audio clips, which Bhushan promised to submit in CD format.
The Centre, meanwhile, argued that such matters could be addressed in the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution.
