Supreme Court seeks report on 25 unnatural deaths in Manipur relief camps questions state action

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Manipur Chief Secretary to file a detailed affidavit on deaths, particularly unnatural deaths, reported among internally displaced persons staying at the relief camps in the violence-hit state.

A three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, expressed serious concern over the information placed before it regarding deaths in the camps and questioned the steps taken by the state authorities to investigate such cases.

Also Read: DUSU polls: Delhi HC warns of staying vote counting over hooliganism, violence during campaigning


The court directed the chief secretary to provide details of 25 unnatural deaths reported from relief camps, including post-mortem reports identifying the causes of death and information on preventive measures taken to avoid such incidents in the camps.

The bench questioned the state government over the conduct of post-mortems as it was reportedly conducted in only 20 of 34 death cases as reflected in the material placed before the court.

Also Read: India warns that Washington's Russia sanctions bill holds implications for bilateral ties, energy market

CJI Kant questioned the Manipur government on why the information concerning the deaths had not resulted in significant action. During the hearing, the bench cautioned the state administration and said, "tell your chief secretary not to invite orders. Tell us what measures you have taken."

The bench also questioned the compensation provided to internally displaced persons who died unnatural deaths while staying at the relief camps. The bench sought an explanation from the state as to why compensation of only Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 had been paid in such cases, particularly when substantially higher compensation had been contemplated in other cases arising from the violence.

The proceedings followed the court's examination of reports submitted by a committee headed by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal and an IAS officer concerning the conditions in the relief camps. The material before court indicated that more than 30 deaths had occurred in the camps, including a case in which the death was reportedly preceded by an alleged sexual assault.

The Supreme Court directed the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) to file a separate status report on the issue. It asked the authority to ensure that FIRs are registered in all cases involving unnatural deaths and that investigations are conducted expeditiously.

The court also took note of the progress of investigations into the cases arising from the 2023 ethnic violence. The Centre informed the bench that the CBI had investigated 31 cases and filed final reports in 28, while three cases remained under investigation.

The state has constituted 42 Special Investigation Teams across eight districts. According to the information placed before the court, chargesheets have been filed in 302 cases, closure reports in 1,583 cases, while 1,135 cases remain under investigation. The bench also expressed hope that the special trial courts established to deal exclusively with CBI and NIA cases arising from the Manipur violence would proceed with the trials expeditiously.