#Manipur : Supreme Court’s Big Direction , Asks CBI and Manipur SITs To Provide Copies of charge sheets Filed By Them To Victims And Their Families

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In a significant set of fresh directions, the Supreme Courthas  asked the CBI and Manipur SITs to provide copies of charge sheets filed by them in the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence cases to the victims and their families.

The directions were issued after the top court perused the 12th status report filed by former Maharashtra Police chief Dattatray Padsalgikar, who was entrusted with the task to monitor probes into the criminal cases in Manipur.

Padsalgikar, in his report, said the CBI has filed charge sheets in the special court in 20 violence cases and the probes in six other FIRs were underway and would be concluded in the next six months.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi asked the CBI to ensure that the investigation in remaining violence cases are over within stipulated time and charge sheets are filed.

Taking note of vehement submissions of senior advocate Vrinda Grover that the victims and their families are in dark on the fate of cases, the CJI asked the CBI and the SITs of state police to share the copies of charge sheets with the affected persons.

“The Manipur State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) and the Assam State Legal Services Authority are directed to provide a free legal aid counsel to each victim,” the bench said, adding that such lawyers should be proficient in local language so that victims and their families can communicate with them.

The bench directed the Manipur SLSA to foot the bills for travelling and boarding of legal aid counsels for their trips to Guwahati for the trial in the cases.

The top court had earlier transferred the cases to Assam from Manipur. It also asked the legal services authority to bear the expenses of the victims and their family members for their travel and stay in Guwahati for attending the cases. It said one person per case can avail this facility.

“The legal aid counsel shall be entitled to assist the special trial court through public prosecutors or independently as per the prevailing situations,” it said.

The bench said it has neither pursued the charge sheets nor made any comments on their merits and hence the victims and their family members will be at liberty to raise all the grievances before the special court trying the cases.