SC to examine whistleblower tapes against Manipur CM
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine audio recordings purportedly linking Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh to the communal violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The bench hearing the case comprises Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. The petitioner, Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust, has been asked to submit evidence to authenticate the tapes.
Tapes allegedly feature CM admitting to fueling insurgency
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, argues these tapes show Singh admitting to stoking insurgency and shielding those who looted arms. "He allowed arms and ammunitions to be looted. How can the state investigate this?," Bhushan questioned. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central government, opposed this plea saying it intends to "keep the fire burning." He claimed ongoing investigations are underway and petitioners should approach the High Court instead.
SC to review tapes' authenticity despite objections
Despite Mehta's objections, the Supreme Court has decided to examine the authenticity of these tapes. As the hearing ended, Mehta raised concerns about border security and slammed those "in ivory towers" for not understanding the ground realities. CJI Chandrachud, in response, said as a Constitutional court, they have a duty not to ignore issues and assured they're not dismissive of ground realities.
