India’s apex court, the Supreme Court of India, has sharply turned up the heat on the investigation into the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence, directing the Central Bureau of Investigation to submit a detailed status report within two weeks on multiple FIRs linked to the killings, sexual violence, and mass displacement that rocked the state. The bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant made it clear that the slow pace and visible gaps in prosecution are unacceptable in a case where over 200 people have died and thousands have lost homes and livelihoods. The court also floated the idea of shifting active monitoring of trials from itself to either the Manipur High Court, the Gauhati High Court, or both — signalling frustration with how the justice process has drifted without firm supervision.
The hearing exposed uncomfortable realities
The hearing exposed uncomfortable realities about how casually some of the most serious crimes are being handled. Senior advocate Vrinda Grover accused investigators of failing even basic victim communication, revealing that a chargesheet in a gang rape case was filed without informing the survivor — who later died from illness reportedly linked to trauma. The court openly acknowledged the failure, stressing that victims’ rights cannot be reduced to paperwork while accused roam free or skip hearings. It ordered free legal aid for affected families and hinted that outside legal teams may be brought in if local conditions still obstruct justice. In plain terms, the judges are no longer buying excuses about “sensitive environments” — justice delayed here is looking dangerously close to justice denied.
Beyond prosecutions, the Supreme Court also pushed both the central and Manipur governments to finally act on rehabilitation measures recommended by a court-appointed committee led by Justice Gita Mittal, whose multiple reports have gathered dust while survivors remain stuck in camps with little support. Lawyers representing tribal groups warned the court that rehabilitation has stalled and conviction rates remain embarrassingly low, effectively allowing violence to fade from public memory without accountability. The court’s concern about sensitive information leaking only highlights how fragile and politicised the entire process remains. Bottom line: nearly three years after Manipur burned, investigations are sluggish, victim care is weak, and responsibility is being passed around. The Supreme Court is now forcing the system to either clean up — or publicly own its failure.
