SC seeks report on audio clips 'linking' Manipur CM to ethnic violence
text_fields
The Supreme Court of India on Monday directed the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) to submit a forensic report in a sealed cover regarding audio clips allegedly linking Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh to the ongoing ethnic violence in the state, Live Law reported.
The order was issued by a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar while hearing a petition filed by the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust. The petition sought an independent investigation into the audio recordings, which purportedly feature the Chief Minister claiming credit for “how and why the conflict started.”
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, informed the court that the audio tapes had been examined by an independent forensic agency, Truth Labs, which confirmed with 93% certainty that the voice in the recordings belonged to N Biren Singh. In the alleged recordings, a voice believed to be Singh's is heard taking credit for orchestrating the conflict, claiming he had defied Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s directives against the use of “bombs” during the violence. The voice also allegedly boasts about shielding individuals involved in the looting of thousands of weapons from state police armories, preventing their arrest.
Bhushan argued that these were serious allegations, claiming that Singh’s comments were recorded during a closed-door meeting and later leaked. He accused the Chief Minister of instigating and abetting the ethnic violence, which has plagued Manipur since May 2023, resulting in the deaths of at least 258 people and the displacement of over 59,000 individuals amid clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities. There have also been periodic upticks in violence throughout 2024.
The Manipur Police, which operates under Singh’s command as he also serves as the state’s home minister, had earlier claimed in August 2023 that the audio clips were doctored and circulated to incite communal tensions and derail peace initiatives.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the petitioner should have first approached the Manipur High Court before seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention. He informed the court that a First Information Report (FIR) had been registered and an investigation was underway. Authorities had also contacted social media accounts on platform X that had uploaded the audio clips for verification purposes.
Mehta confirmed that the audio tapes had been sent to the CFSL for examination. He criticized the petitioner, accusing them of having a “separatist mindset” and carrying “ideological baggage,” referring to concerns previously raised by a Supreme Court-appointed panel about certain civil society organizations attempting to “keep the pot boiling” over the Manipur crisis.
When CJI Khanna inquired about the timeline for the forensic report, Mehta assured the court that it would be submitted soon in a sealed cover. Bhushan countered, stating that the Truth Labs report should carry more credibility than one conducted by a government agency.
The bench has listed the matter for further hearing in the week starting March 24, during which it will consider whether the case should be referred to the High Court. It also acknowledged that the audio clips had been sent to CFSL for forensic analysis and reiterated that the report would be submitted confidentially.
Previously, a bench led by then-Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had directed the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust to provide evidence authenticating the audio recordings. In compliance, the petitioner had submitted the forensic analysis conducted by Truth Labs.
