Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The Supreme Court ordered authorities in Manipur and Assam to consider creating two exclusive special courts for cases linked to the 2023 ethnic violence. Chief Justice Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, pushed for one court dedicated to Central Bureau of Investigation cases and another for National Investigation Agency matters. Judges currently juggle these cases with other work. The bench wants to know if these matters can be separated entirely.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati reported that the CBI has taken on 31 cases. Investigators finished 27 of those, filing 22 chargesheets and five closure reports. Four remain open. Courts have taken cognisance of 20 chargesheeted cases, with trials pending. All CBI files moved to Gauhati.
The NIA has 30 cases on its plate. Officials filed chargesheets in 15 of them, while 15 investigations grind on. Seven cases already have charges framed. Two sit in a Delhi court, five in Gauhati, and eight in Manipur. The bench stated, "The authorities shall consider setting up two separate exclusive courts, one for dealing with the CBI cases and another for dealing with the NIA cases arising out of the Manipur violence."
Victims and families face a lack of transparency. Senior advocate Vrinda Grover argued that people cannot access status reports despite previous court orders. The bench ordered a full compilation of case details and chargesheets to be made available to families and their legal teams. The registrar general must submit a status report before the next hearing.
Violence erupted May 3, 2023, after a Tribal Solidarity March sparked riots. Over 200 people died. Thousands fled their homes. The court demanded smoother coordination between the state government and security forces to keep investigations moving. It also noted ongoing efforts to seize illegal weapons and protect students.
Updated at 10th August 2026 at 10:00pm
The Supreme Court proceedings occurred on August 10. The bench clarified that while special judges currently handle CBI and NIA matters, it requires confirmation on whether these judges are exclusively tied to Manipur violence cases or are juggling other unrelated dockets. The Registrar General of the relevant high court must now submit a status report on the proposed court arrangements before the next hearing.
Regarding the CBI cases, officials noted that one of the files is triable by a magistrate, while the remaining matters involve Sessions trials. For the NIA, further investigation continues in some matters even though charges have already been framed in seven cases. The violence trace-back confirmed the triggering incident as a Tribal Solidarity March protesting the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the Meitei community.
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