The Supreme Court on Monday said the trial of Manipur ethnic violence cases would be conducted in Guwahati where the pre-trial proceedings were transferred by the top court in August 2023.

“We clarify that the trial of the transferred cases will be held before the court at Guwahati, Assam…,” a bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna said.

The bench, which also included Justices Sanjay Kumar and Joymalya Bagchi, passed the order in response to the submissions of a lawyer that the trial court was yet to take cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the CBI in the cases because of the confusion over the place of trial.

Through its order dated August 25, 2023, the apex court had transferred the pre-trial proceedings of around 22 cases probed by the CBI to Guwahati, “bearing in mind the overall environment in Manipur and in view of ensuring fair process of criminal
justice administration”.

The cases included the gang rape and parading of three disrobed women, one of whom was murdered.

The top court had directed the Gauhati High Court Chief Justice to nominate one or more judicial officers, conversant in at least one Manipur language, to deal with the transferred cases.

The designated judges were supposed to handle applications for the production, remand, judicial custody and extension of custody of the accused and other proceedings in connection with the investigation.

As the earlier directive was restricted only to pre-trial proceedings, the apex court on Monday issued a formal order on the conduct of the trial.

The bench on Wednesday also extended till July 31 the tenure of a committee headed by Justice Gita Mittal, the former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

The panel, which also includes former Bombay High Court judge Shalini P. Joshi and former Delhi High Court judge Asha Menon, was set up on August 7, 2023, by the top court to oversee the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the violence in Manipur. The tenure of the panel was previously extended by the top court by six months on August 5 last year.

The top court has granted three more weeks to the Manipur government to file a status report on the loss and loot of property during the course of the violence.

The bench posted the next hearing to the week beginning July 21.