Plea over ex-Manipur CM 'role' in violence: Forensic exercise on audio clips 'misdirected', says SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure over Central Forensic Science Laboratory's exercise to test the audio recordings pointing to the alleged role of former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh in the ethnic violence in the state, calling it "misdirected".

A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sharma said it hadn't asked about authenticity of audio clips but directed testing of the voice samples.

"We had not asked about authenticity of the video. What we are asking for is after testing that voice with the admitted voice of the individual whether it can be identified that same persons are speaking in both?" it said.

The bench went on to tell Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, "We don't need authenticity of the video to be established. The entire exercise seems to be misdirected. Only wishy-washy answers are being given. The CFSL is under the impression that we want to know if the video is authentic or not."

The top court also rejected an application filed by Singh's daughter seeking to be added as a party to the case and said it wasn't a "family support programme".

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), sought an independent SIT investigation in the matter.

He alleged the same government, which the former chief minister belongs to, has administrative control over the CFSL laboratory.

The bench, however, said, "You cannot suspect the bonafides of every organisation on the ground of administrative control. We will have to bring an organisation from abroad." The matter was posted for August 25 as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was in another court.

The top court previously questioned the state government for not placing on record a fresh forensic report on the authenticity of leaked audio clips despite its directions.

On May 5, a bench headed by former CJI Sanjiv Khanna examined a forensic report on authenticity of leaked audio clips alleging role of former Manipur CM and asked the state government to file a fresh report on the probe.

It opened the sealed cover report of the (Central Forensic Science Laboratory) CFSL submitted by Mehta and asked him to seek instructions from the state officers on the investigation.

The state government has informed the bench that a forensic report on the authenticity of the leaked audio clips alleging the role of Singh in the ethnic violence was ready to be filed.

Singh resigned as the chief minister of Manipur on February 9, amid rumblings within the state BJP and growing demands for a change in leadership.

The top court had previously sought a sealed-cover forensic report from the CFSL on the authenticity of the leaked audio clips alleging Singh's role in the ethnic violence that began in May 2023.

KOHUR had sought a court-monitored SIT probe into Singh's alleged role.

Bhushan termed the contents of the audio leaks a "very serious matter" and said Singh was purportedly heard saying that Meitei groups were allowed to loot arms and ammunition of the state government.

On November 8 last year, a bench headed by former CJI D Y Chandrachud directed KOHUR to produce material to indicate the authenticity of some of the leaked audio clips.

Over 260 people were killed and thousands displaced since the ethnic violence broke out between the Imphal valley-based Meitei and neighbouring hills-based Kuki communities in May 2023.

The clashes began after a "Tribal Solidarity March" was organised in the hill districts to protest against an order of the Manipur High Court on the Meitei community's demand for scheduled tribe status.

Bhushan alleged that the recorded conversation prima facie showed the complicity and involvement of the state machinery in the violence against the Kuki Zo community.

He said the clips had "disturbing conversations" and Singh could be heard instigating the violence and protecting the attackers.

KOHUR's plea alleged that Singh was instrumental in "inciting, organising and thereafter centrally orchestrating the large-scale murder, destruction and other forms of violence against the Kuki-dominated areas in Manipur".