New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a detailed report from the Manipur Chief Secretary on 25 cases of unnatural deaths reported from relief camps in the violence-affected state, including details of post-mortem examinations, causes of death, and measures taken to prevent such incidents.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana passed the directions after taking note of material placed before it concerning deaths and other difficulties faced by internally displaced persons living in relief camps.
The apex court directed the Chief Secretary to provide details of all 25 unnatural deaths reported in newspapers and place on record the corresponding post-mortem reports and other material indicating the causes of death.
“We direct the Chief Secretary of Manipur to submit a report about all the 25 unnatural deaths reported in the newspapers…along with a post-mortem report identifying the cause and what preventive steps have been taken to avoid the same,” it said.
The Manipur government has also been asked to explain the preventive measures adopted in the relief camps to ensure the safety and dignity of internally displaced persons.
The top court took note of a report concerning deaths in relief camps across eight districts and questioned the circumstances in which post-mortem examinations were conducted in only 20 cases.
It also sought an explanation regarding reports of compensation of only Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 being paid to families in cases involving unnatural deaths.
The CJI-headed Bench directed the state government to clarify why post-mortem examinations had not been conducted in all such cases and the basis on which the compensation amounts were determined.
It further directed the authorities to ensure that people residing in relief camps are provided adequate medical facilities and essential day-to-day necessities.
The Manipur Legal Services Authority was directed to immediately examine the issue and ensure registration of FIRs in all cases of unnatural deaths. It was also asked to ensure that the causes of death are properly ascertained and investigations in cases where FIRs have already been registered are completed expeditiously.
The directions followed the Supreme Court’s consideration of a report submitted by the committee headed by Jammu and Kashmir’s former High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal. The committee had been constituted by the apex court to examine humanitarian concerns arising from the 2023 violence, including issues relating to women and children, relief camps, compensation and rehabilitation.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati also placed before the CJI-led Bench the status of investigations into cases arising from the Manipur violence. The Centre’s law officer informed that 42 Special Investigation Teams had been constituted across eight districts. Charge sheets have been filed in 302 cases, closure reports in 1,583 cases, and 1,135 cases are still under investigation.
She also apprised of the proceedings in cases being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), including cases relating to sexual violence during the 2023 violence.
The Supreme Court had earlier transferred 11 cases concerning sexual violence to the CBI and directed that the trials be conducted in Assam, while permitting victims and witnesses to depose through video conferencing from Manipur. The apex court had also appointed former IPS officer Dattatray Padsalgikar to monitor the investigation into cases arising from the violence.
In February, the Supreme Court had sought a status report from the CBI on the progress of the investigation into the sexual violence cases and considered a mechanism under which the Manipur and Gauhati High Courts could coordinate in monitoring the trials. The top had then emphasised the need for victims and witnesses to be provided a “free and fearless environment” for recording their statements.
