Manipur violence: Three-judge committee submits reports to SC

The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will pass orders on Friday to facilitate the proper functioning of a committee headed by Justice (retd) Gita Mittal which was set up to monitor relief work, rehabilitation, compensation and healing of violence-hit Manipur.

The committee has submitted three reports before the top court, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said.

The bench hearing the Manipur violence cases said that certain procedural directions would be required to be issued for administrative assistance, to meet the financial expenses of the committee, etc.

It said three reports filed by the Committee be given to advocates in the case.

The committee in its report flagged that victims of ethnic violence in Manipur have lost their necessary documents in the violence and need to be reissued. It further highlighted that the Manipur victim compensation scheme may be updated and the proposal of the committee for the appointment of domain experts.

After reviewing the reports, the bench also underlined that the committee had bifurcated the cases under several heads such as compensation, violence against women, mental health care, medical health care, relief camps, data reporting and monitoring and so on.

The bench posted the matter for direction on Friday.

The apex court had set up the three-member committee of former High Court judges — Justice Gita Mittal, former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, former Judge of the Bombay High Court and Justice Asha Menon, former Judge of the Delhi High Court.

A three-member committee was set up to look into humanitarian aspects of the issue including relief, remedial measures, rehabilitation measures, and restoration of homes and places of worship.

The top court seized the cases relating to the violence in Manipur between Meitei and Kuki communities.

The violence in Manipur between the Hindu Meiteis and the tribal Kuki, who are Christians, erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on 3 May.

Violence has gripped the entire state for over three months now and the Central government had to deploy paramilitary forces to bring the situation under control.