Manipur Violence: Supreme Court Constitutes Committee of 3 Former Women Judges to Oversee Humanitarian Measures

The Supreme Court of India appointed three former High Court judges to lead a committee that would look into the investigation, relief, remedial measures, compensation, rehabilitation in violence stricken Manipur.

Written by: Victor Dasgupta Edited by: Victor Dasgupta

Updated: August 7, 2023, 6:02 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/news/india/manipur-violence-supreme-court-constitutes-committee-of-3-former-women-judges-to-oversee-humanitarian-measures-6212419/ Copy

New Delhi: Supreme Court will appoint an all-women committee of three former High Court judges of Justices Gita Mittal, Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, and Asha Menon to monitor relief work, rehabilitation, compensation and healing of violence-hit Manipur, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud announced on Monday.

Justice Mittal will be heading the committee.

The top court also said that it will pass directions in relation to the Manipur violence cases to “restore a sense of faith in the rule of law and build a sense of confidence”.

The Court said that it will constitute a committee of three former female High Court judges to “look at diverse aspects on humanitarian nature”. It will be a “broad-based committee” looking at things including relief, remedial measures, rehabilitaiton measures, restoration of homes and places of worship.

Manipur Violence: Here are the top updates

• Supreme Court will appoint an all-women committee of three former High Court judges to monitor relief work, rehabilitation, compensation and healing of violence-hit Manipur
• The committee constitutes Justice Gita Mittal, Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi and Justice Asha Menon
• Justice Mittal is a former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Justice Joshi is a former
• The top court indicated that it will add ‘one more layer of security’ by appointing one officer to oversee the investigation, who will be reporting back to the Court.
• Dattatray Padsalgikar IPS, former Maharashtra DGP, and Mumbai Police Commissioner, was appointed as the overseeing officer.
• As many as 6,523 FIRs have been registered from May to July in Manipur. Manipur Government said it will constitute 42 SITs to investigate the cases.
• Supreme Court said that it proposes to pass order that there will be 42 SIT to look into cases in connection with Manipur violence which have not been transferred to CBI.
• A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said cases have been transferred to the CBI, but to ensure faith in the rule of law, it is proposing to direct that there shall be five officers of rank at least Deputy SP who will be brought into CBI from various states.
• The top court said it contemplates to appoint a committee of three former High Court judges which will look into the investigation, relief, remedial measures, compensation, rehabilitation, etc.

Manipur had been on the boil for the last three months after ethnic clashes broke out between two tribal communities Meities and Kukis, when the Manipur High Court asked the state government to consider adding one of the communities to the list of Scheduled Tribes.

Directions on investigation

As regards investigation, the Court noted that the Centre has decided to entrust 11 FIRs relating to sexual violence to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The Court said that it will allow the transfer of these cases to the CBI.

However, it will also include 5 officers from the rank of at least DySP if not SP drawn from other States “to ensure that there is a sense of faith and an overall feeling of objectivety”. The Court clarified that these officers will be functioning within the administrative set up of the CBI.