Supreme Court extends tenure of Manipur relief panel to July 31

IT News/Hindustan Times
New Delhi, January 28:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended till July 31, 2026, the tenure of a high-powered committee of retired judges constituted to evaluate the effectiveness of relief and rehabilitation measures in Manipur, where ethnic violence has persisted since May 2023.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the continuation of the committee was necessary in the facts of the case and urged it to complete its responsibilities within the stipulated period.
The extension was granted after senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija, appearing on behalf of the committee, informed the court that the panel was yet to complete its assigned task. Attorney General R Venkataramani was also present during the hearing.
The court was told that the committee has submitted 32 reports so far, with several more in the pipeline, and that no extension had been granted to it since July 2025. Taking note of the submission, the bench observed: “We feel that the continuation of the committee is necessary and it is granted further time till July 31, 2026. We request the committee to make an endeavour to complete the responsibility within the stipulated period.”
The committee was constituted by the Supreme Court in August 2023 to monitor humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation efforts in Manipur following the outbreak of large-scale ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki community and the dominant Meitei community.
The all-women panel comprises three former high court judges — Justice Gita Mittal, former chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court; Justice Shalini P Joshi, former judge of the Bombay High Court; and Justice Asha Menon, former judge of the Delhi High Court.
The committee has been tasked with examining issues relating to violence against women, the physical and psychological well-being of those housed in relief camps, and the payment of compensation to victims, among other concerns.
Over the past two years, the panel has submitted a series of reports addressing critical aspects of the humanitarian crisis, including availability of essential supplies in relief camps, access to medical care for displaced persons, restoration of religious places, dignified disposal of bodies, and disbursal of compensation.
Ethnic clashes in Manipur first erupted on May 3, 2023, during protests against a court-ordered move to include the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list. The violence rapidly spread across the state, displacing tens of thousands of people who fled their homes, often taking shelter in forests or crossing into neighbouring states. Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13 last year. The clashes have claimed over 260 lives to date, displacing more than 60,000 from both sides.
Since taking the suo motu cognizance of the matter in July 2023, the Supreme Court has repeatedly monitored the situation in Manipur, stressing the need for sustained humanitarian intervention and accountability in relief and rehabilitation measures.