Manipur Violence | Supreme Court Directs IT Ministry To Create Website For Public To Give Information To Court-Appointed Committee

Last week, while transferring the sexual violence cases related to the Manipur ethnic clashes currently being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) - now 27 in number - to Assam in view of the 'overall environment' in Manipur and the need to ensure a 'fair process of criminal justice administration, the Supreme Court issued a slew of directions.

The court's directives sought to streamline legal proceedings, provide access to justice, and facilitate the probe being conducted by an all-women committee comprising retired high court judges that was created to look into the humanitarian aspects of relief, remedial and rehabilitation measures, and restoration of homes and places of worship in the violence-hit northeastern state. Notably, apart from directing the union government to bear the expenses associated with this committee's work, including administrative costs and accommodations, the Supreme Court has also asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) to ensure the expeditious creation of an online platform where people can submit relevant material and information for the committee's consideration.

These directions, inter alia, transferring the CBI cases to Assam, were passed after the Centre, through Solicitor-General for India Tushar Mehta, raised apprehensions that judges in Manipur might belong to one tribe or community or the other. To that end, a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra, asked the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court to designate local courts in Guwahati to handle the pre-trial steps in these transferred cases, including applications for remand, extension of custody, issuance of warrants, etc. These judicial officers would be of the rank of chief judicial magistrate or sessions judge and would preferably be conversant in one or more languages used in Manipur. 

Apart from this, the Supreme Court also accepted a number of recommendations made by the committee headed by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Justice Gita Mittal, which submitted its reports earlier this month. In accordance with the recommendations, the bench passed the following directions:

1. The Ministry of Home Affairs of the Union Government shall designate a nodal officer, not below the rank of Joint Secretary to coordinate the implementation of the directions of the Supreme Court and provide all logistical and other necessary support to the Committee chaired by Justice Gita Mittal for discharging its mandate.
2. The Chief Secretary of the Government of Manipur shall designate a nodal officer not below the rank of commissioner or secretary to coordinate the implementation of the directions of this court and provide all logistical and other necessary support to the committee for discharging its mandate.
3. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India shall be responsible for bearing all the expenses of the committee including administrative, transport, conveyance, and accommodation. The committee shall communicate the expenses incurred by it to the nodal officer. The ministry shall ensure that the expenses are forthwith reimbursed to the committee.
4. It shall be the responsibility of the Government of India and the Government of Manipur to ensure appropriate accommodation and facilities for the committee and staff during their visits to Manipur and ensure adequate and appropriate security for them.
5. The Government of Manipur and the High Court of Manipur shall ensure the availability of adequate secretarial facilities to the committee while in Manipur as may be necessary to discharge its mandate.
6. The above directions to the Union of India and the State of Manipur shall also apply to the work entrusted to Dattatray Padsalgikar (appointed to monitor all Manipur-related probes) in terms of the previous order. All assistance required by him shall be extended.
7. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) shall assist the committee and ensure the expeditious creation of a website or platform to enable the public to place relevant material and information for the consideration of the committee.
8. The contact details of the nodal officers should be communicated to the committee within a week of the passing of this order. 

The bench was hearing a batch of pleas over the ethnic clashes in Manipur, including one suo motu action taking cognizance of a graphic video that went viral last month depicting two Manipuri women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted.