Supreme Court orders special courts for Manipur ethnic violence cases

A bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohan directed the creation of special courts to conduct day‑to‑day trials of criminal cases arising from the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur. The Court urged the Central Bureau of Investigation and state Special Investigation Teams to expedite pending investigations, file charge sheets promptly, and provide copies of those charge sheets to victims within a week. It asked the Additional Solicitor General to compile data on cases where investigations are complete and those still pending, to determine how many special courts will be needed. The Court noted that out of roughly 3,020 cases across eight districts, charge sheets have been filed in only 301, charges framed in 41, and trials begun in 10. It also sought information on 30 missing persons and instructed the Manipur High Court to cooperate fully. The violence, which began after a tribal solidarity march opposed to Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status, has killed more than 200 people, injured hundreds and displaced thousands.