SC seeks forensic report on Manipur riots audio tapes

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) to submit a report on leaked audio tapes allegedly featuring Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, in which he is purportedly heard saying that the ethnic violence in the state was instigated at his insistence.

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI:

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and justice Sanjay Kumar sought the report in a sealed cover, while also indicating that it would assess whether the Supreme Court or the Manipur high court should hear the matter. "The state is limping back now. We have to also see if this court should hear this matter or the high court should," CJI Khanna remarked.

At the start of the hearing, justice Kumar informed the parties that he had attended a dinner hosted by the Manipur CM when he was elevated to the Supreme Court (in February 2023).

However, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust, allayed the judge's concerns. "No problem, not one bit," Bhushan told the bench, affirming that justice Kumar need not recuse himself.