Manipur High Court directs NIA to submit chargesheet within one month in Jiribam killings case

The Manipur High Court has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file a chargesheet within one month in connection with the abduction and murder of six Meitei women and children in Jiribam district last year. The order came after the central agency submitted two sealed progress reports detailing its ongoing investigation.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice K. Somashekar and Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh issued the directive while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Uripok Apunba Lup, a civil society organisation, which has been seeking judicial oversight of the case.
During the hearing held on July 24, the NIA submitted the reports in sealed covers, which the court took on record and ordered to be kept in safe custody with the Registrar General of the High Court until further directions are issued.
The submission of the reports followed the court’s earlier observation that an undue delay had occurred in filing the chargesheet, despite the incident having taken place in November 2023. The six victims were abducted and their bodies later recovered from the Barak river.
The Deputy Solicitor-General representing the NIA informed the court that the investigation was nearing completion and the chargesheet would be filed shortly. The State Advocate-General also made submissions during the hearing. While the court did not reveal the contents of the sealed documents, it noted that its direction was based on the “peculiar facts and circumstances” of the case and the concerns raised by both counsels.
“It is made clear that if there is no progress made, the matter would be viewed seriously,” the court stated in its order, invoking the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which outlines procedural timelines for filing chargesheets in criminal cases.
The court has listed the matter for the next hearing on August 25.
The PIL petitioners had earlier raised concerns over inaction and delay on the part of investigating authorities. The High Court, recognising the seriousness of the crime and the need for justice, had instructed the NIA to accelerate the process.