Manipur clashes: Report on status of recovery of arms has been filed, state govt tells SC

In its August 7 order appointing former Mumbai police commissioner Dattatray Padsalgikar to “overall monitor” the probe being carried out by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the instances of sexual violence in Manipur, the Supreme Court had also directed the state to “take stock of the number of arms missing or looted from the armouries of the state and of these, the number of arms which have been recovered. Formulate and implement a plan to recover any missing arms”.

Hearing the matter on September 6, the court clarified that it meant arms not just from the state armouries but from all sources and directed that a status report be placed only for the perusal of the bench.

Taking note of Mehta’s submission, the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, Friday said that it will look into the report.

The Supreme Court bench said it will give more time to Padsalgikar before seeking a status report.

“What we will do is we will allow a little bit of time for the officer to take charge, to monitor the situation and then ask for a status report. Now we are very early…,” the CJI said as senior advocate Indira Jaising appearing for some of the petitioners, submitted that the “CBI has not filed any update on the investigations”.

Countering Jaising, Mehta said the “CBI is not to give any updates” and that the court-appointed officer is supervising the probe. He added, “Your Lordships did not purposefully choose to monitor on a day to day basis.”

At this, the CJI remarked “the officer himself went to Manipur. He has been in charge and is a seasoned officer from the Maharashtra police, served extensively in the northeast. So, he is aware of the sensitivities…There is no issue, he will monitor it”.

Stating that the officer already appointed by the court be allowed to continue monitoring the probe, Mehta said that “ultimately what happens is when we file a report, instead of Your Lordships monitoring, everyone else starts monitoring the investigation of CBI”.

Attorney General R Venkataramani advised caution given the fragile situation prevailing in the state.

“We must tread very carefully in many of these matters, a little flame and then the flare up, therefore I think all of us should cooperate in treading it very carefully,” said the AG.

Advocate Vrinda Grover appearing for some petitioners said the state is yet to return the bodies of the two women, who were gang-raped and killed in May in Manipur, to their families.

Mehta said the “committee has taken cognisance, issued certain directions to us and that is being implemented”.

On August 7, the Supreme Court also appointed a three-member committee of former High Court judges headed by retired J&K High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal to look into the humanitarian aspects of the crisis.

Friday, the bench told some parties which wanted to intervene in the matter to approach the committee first. “Go before the committee…you can place it before the committee. Otherwise, the committee’s work will be replicated by us. Go to the committee first…we have a high-powered committee headed by a former chief justice. So go there first. Thereafter something remains, come back to us. But go in the first instance to the committee,” the bench said.

The court will now hear the matter on September 25.