Manipur violence: 38 families refuse aid, SC panel says civil society organisations ‘obstructing’ process

In its 14th report, submitted on October 21, the committee is also learnt to have sought another direction from the court to “prohibit the civil society organisations from interfering with and/or obstructing the next of kin in accepting the ex-gratia amounts.”

The case will be heard again by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on December 4.

The Supreme Court had appointed the three-member committee, which includes former Bombay High Court Judge, Justice Shalini P Joshi, and former Delhi High Court Judge, Justice Asha Menon, to examine the humanitarian aspects of the ethnic violence in Manipur.

The committee has informed the Supreme Court that according to the state government records, 175 deaths had been reported till October 7, of which the victims had been identified in 169 cases. The ex-gratia compensation has been given as direct benefit transfer in 73 of the 169 identified cases. In the remaining 96 cases, verification is pending in 58 cases, while 38 families have “expressed unwillingness” to receive the assistance. The refusal, the committee noted, is “due to pressure from civil society organisations like ITLF, JPO, KIM, etc.”

Of these 38 families, 13 are in Churachandpur, 13 in Imphal West, 9 in Kangpokpi, and 3 in Tengnoupal districts.

The Manipur government had announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh for the families of those killed in the violence since May 3. While the state government contributes half of the compensation, the Union Home Ministry contributes the remaining amount.