The Gauhati High Court instructed the Manipur government, CBI, and NIA to submit a status report on investigations into violence in Manipur within a fortnight.
The court also mandated that the report specify if chargesheets were filed, and if so, in how many cases, and the stage of investigation in others.
During the proceedings, it was mentioned that the Special Judge, CBI, NIA, Assam, Guwahati, received a forwarding letter. This letter is connected to the August 2023 order, where the Chief Justice of the High Court of Gauhati was asked to nominate officers of Chief Judicial Magistrate and Session Judge rank in Gauhati, Assam, to manage all proceedings regarding the violence in Manipur.
The Special Judge sought clarification on two aspects: whether the trial should occur in Assam after the charge-sheet is filed, and the procedures for cases involving a juvenile offender.
Furthermore, it directed that a copy of 28 reports submitted by the committee chaired by Justice Gita Mittal, former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, be shared with the Attorney General for India.
The Attorney General stated that he would provide instructions specifically concerning the incidents highlighted in the report.
It is noteworthy that in August 2023, the Supreme Court transferred 17 violence cases linked to Manipur’s violence, under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation, to Assam. The Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court was tasked with assigning one or more judicial officers to handle them.
