Report on the authenticity of audio clips on the role of Billon Singer in the Manipur violence: Center to SC

Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. |Photo source: PTI

The center informed the Supreme Court on Thursday (April 17, 2025) that a forensic report on the authenticity of the leaked audio clips alleging that former Manipur former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s role in ethnic violence in the state is ready and will be submitted to the sealed cover soon.

The judge, led by the moderator of the Chief Justice of India (CJI), took note of the opinions of a lawyer from the centre and the state government, and began a hearing on the guilty plea brought by the Kuki Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) last week on May 5.

The Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) report will be submitted by lawyer Tushar Mehta and seeks an adjournment, saying the legal officer is unavailable at the moment.

Mr Singh resigned as Chief Minister of Manipur on February 9, with the noise within the state BJP and the demands for change of leadership.

Earlier, the Supreme Court sought a sealed forensic report from CFSL about the authenticity of the leaked audio clips, which accused Mr Singh of the role of racial violence that began in May 2023.

Kohur, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, had sought a court surveillance investigation into the so-called role of Mr Singh.

“The state is gradually returning to normalcy and we will put it on hold for the time being (this matter),” CJI said.

The lawyer general agreed to observe.

Read also | After news reports about alleged voice clips from the CM Manipur government. Call it an “anti-ethnic” activity

Mr. Bushan called the audio leak a “very serious matter” and said Mr. Singh was said to have been allowed to rob weapons and ammunition.

He added: “I have the attachment to the tape.”

The lawyer said the petitioner had an “ideological tendency” and a report was submitted by a committee of three High Court judges pointing out efforts to keep the “pot boiling”.

“A real lab confirmed that it was the voice of the Chief Minister, it was the voice of the Chief Minister, and the real lab was more reliable than the FSL report,” Mr. Bhushan said.

However, lawyers question the authenticity of the real laboratory report.

On November 8 last year, a bench led by former CJI Dy Chandrachud directed Kohur to produce materials to show the authenticity of certain leaked audio clips.

Mr. Bhushan has said he will also submit copies of the tape in CD format.

However, SG Mehta said the plea could be filed under Article 226 of the Constitution.

More than 260 people have been killed and thousands have been displaced since May 2023 since the outbreak of racial violence between the Imphal Valley and the neighboring Church community.

The conflict began after organizing a “tribal solidarity march” in the Hill area to protest the order of the Manipur High Court on the demand for the Meitei community for the pre-determined tribal status.

Mr. Bushan claimed that the recorded dialogue ostensibly demonstrated the complicity and participation of state agencies in violence against the Kuki ZO community.

He said the clips had a “disturbing conversation” and that Mr Singh could hear inciting violence and protecting the attackers.

Kohul’s plea claimed that Mr Singh was “inciting, organizing, and then concentrating on orchestrating the mass murder, destruction and other forms of violence in the Kuki-dominated area of ​​Manipur”.

“The petitioner is praying for the Special Investigation Team for the investigation of court custody because there is clear and strong superficial evidence that the participation of the top staff, i.e., the chief minister of the country. The investigation will require the discovery of conspiracies that appear to be involved in the highest office of the State Council,” it said. ”