CJI DY Chandrachud: This report which has been filed on behalf of State of Manipur states that 6496 FIRs have been registered as on 25 July 2023.
SG Mehta: So far as these 11 FIRs are concerned, they can go to CBI. The rest of them- we share your concern. We'll bifurcate these. Without bifurcation it'll be difficult.
CJI DY Chandrachud: We need to know from CBI what is the limit of CBI's infrastructure.
AG: There are incidents occuring in the border areas which are deeply distrubing. We need to take calibrated approach. We will come back on Friday to assist the court. Let CBI go ahead and see what factual things exist...
Justice Pardiwala: We need to know also that in how many FIRs specific names have been taken. And if there are names in the FIRs, what steps have been taken to arrest them?
SG Mehta: That exercise we can carry out but give us time till Friday. Right now we did not have much deliberation with officers. We didn't sit with them. We just went through this.
CJI DY Chandrachud: So there needs to be a mechanism to bifurcate these 6500 FIRs. Because the CBI cannot be burdened with all 6500 otherwise it'll result in breakdown of CBI mechanism also.
CJI DY Chandrachud: Because it's clear that for the two months, the state police was not in charge. They may have made performative arrests but they were not in charge. Either they were incapable of doing it or uninterested.
CJI DY Chandrachud: How many of these 6500 involve serious offences- bodily harm, destruction of property, religious places, home, murders, rapes- their investigation will have to be taken in fast track means. That's how you'll send confidence.
SG Mehta: Let investigation of CBI continue. We'll give you a report by Friday.
CJI: CBI can investigate only few FIRs. There are 6000+ FIRs, will the state police investigate those?