On Thursday, the Supreme Court expressed concern over suspicious and unnatural deaths in Manipur relief camps. The court directed the state Chief Secretary to submit a detailed report on the 25 suspicious deaths. Postmortem reports and documents related to the cause of death were also sought.
640 deaths mentioned in the report
During the hearing, the report of a committee headed by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Geeta Mittal was also mentioned. According to the report, 640 deaths were recorded in relief camps in eight districts, but postmortems were conducted in only 20 of these cases. The court questioned this situation.
“Don’t force us,” the court’s strict comment
The Chief Justice asked the state government what steps have been taken so far in these deaths. The court made a stern remark, stating that the state should not create a situation that would force the court to issue further orders.
The Supreme Court also directed the Manipur State Legal Services Authority to register FIRs and ensure proper investigations in cases involving suspicious deaths.
42 SITs investigating cases
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati stated that 42 Special Investigation Teams (SITs) have been formed in eight districts. According to her, a total of 3,020 cases are under investigation. Charge sheets have been filed in 302 cases, closure reports have been filed in 1,583 cases, and investigations are ongoing in 1,135 cases.
The court also discussed the progress of investigations and trials and asked the central government to consider necessary steps to streamline the trial process.