Manipur Violence / Did Biren Singh instigate Manipur violence? FCL report of audio prepared

The Central Government told the Supreme Court that the forensic report in the Manipur audio leak case is ready and it will be submitted to the court in a sealed envelope soon. This alleged audio containing the voice of former CM N Biren Singh contains allegations of inciting violence.

Manipur Violence: A major legal and political stir is being seen amid the ethnic conflict going on in Manipur for the last two years. The central government has informed the Supreme Court that the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report on the viral audio clip of Manipur has been prepared and it will soon be presented in the court in a sealed envelope. This audio clip allegedly contains the voice of former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, in which he is heard inciting violence.

Next hearing in Supreme Court on May 5

A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna has fixed the next date of hearing as May 5 after hearing the arguments of the lawyers of the Center and the State Government. The matter is related to the petition filed by the Kuki Human Rights Organization (KOHUR), which demanded that this leaked audio be investigated impartially and the role of former CM N Biren Singh be investigated by the SIT under the supervision of the court.

Serious allegations and demand for investigation

Famous advocate Prashant Bhushan, while arguing for the petition, told the court that an investigation by an independent lab has found that 93 percent of the voice in the audio clip is that of N Biren Singh. He claimed that this conversation clearly indicates the collusion of the state machinery and those involved in the violence. According to Bhushan, in the clip, Singh can be heard supporting the attackers and inciting violence against the Kuki community.

Eyes on FSL report

In November last year, a bench headed by then CJI D.Y. Chandrachud had directed KOHUR to submit documents related to the authenticity of the leaked audio. Now that the Center has confirmed that the forensic report is ready, all eyes are on the contents of this report, which will be placed before the Supreme Court in a sealed envelope on May 5.

Ethnic violence has been going on in Manipur for a long time

It is worth noting that since May 2023, Manipur has been in the grip of ethnic violence, in which more than 250 people have died so far and thousands of citizens have been forced to leave their homes. The violence is mainly between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The violence that erupted in protest against the demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community has not subsided yet.