The Supreme Court has asked the court-appointed committee headed by Justice Gita Mittal to verify claims that around 24,000 families affected by the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence are yet to receive benefits under government rehabilitation and welfare schemes.

The top court also asked the Manipur and Assam governments and others to consider setting up two special trial courts to exclusively hear CBI and NIA cases, respectively, arising from the violence.

Today, the Court has also asked the Manipur and Assam governments and others to consider setting up two special trial courts to exclusively hear CBI and NIA cases arising from the 2023 ethnic violence.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana took note of the submissions of lawyers, including senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, that many affected tribals are yet to get the benefits of rehabilitation and welfare schemes.


The Committee, consisting of the following three members, was constituted by the Apex Court on August 7, 2023: (i) Justice Gita Mittal, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir; (ii) Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, former Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Bombay; and (iii) Justice Asha Menon, former Judge of the High Court of Delhi.

The bench was hearing the issue of rehabilitation of the people who lost their dwelling units, houses and sources of livelihood during the violence.

It took note of the steps taken by the government for rehabilitation of the affected families. It noted that funds have been disbursed to more than 4,000 beneficiaries out of around 7,000 identified beneficiaries for the reconstruction of their houses.

The government scheme provides Rs 5 lakh for a kutcha house and Rs 7 lakh for a semi-pucca or pucca house, the court noted.

More than 12,000 houses have so far been approved under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) for families affected by the violence, the bench said, while noting the submissions of senior advocate Vibha Dutt Makhija, appearing for the Justice Gita Mittal Committee.

The bench also noted that temporary shelters have been constructed and Rs 51.95 crore released for 885 identified beneficiaries for permanent houses.

In addition, Rs one lakh per household has been provided to families whose houses were completely damaged, it said.

However, it was submitted on behalf of some affected families that around 24,000 families were yet to receive the benefits, as could be verified at the ground level, it said.

The bench said it was informed that details of these families had been furnished to the three-member committee.

"If that is so, we request the committee to verify and confirm the particulars of the alleged affected families and forward a note regarding implementation of the Government welfare schemes duly noticed by this Court in its order dated May 27, 2026," the CJI said.

The committee will verify the particulars and status of the properties and submit a report to the court. On the issue of damages to the places of worship, the bench noted that a list of 276 properties had been furnished and the claims in respect of these properties required verification.

A separate list of 20 churches where encroachment has allegedly taken place was also furnished before the court, Gonsalves said.

The Justice Gita Mittal-led committee will consider the representations and verify the claims on the basis of relevant material and land records, the court said.

The authorities concerned shall ensure that there is no further encroachment upon properties found to be covered by the claims, it added.

The committee will submit a report in this regard before the top court.

Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, following a Tribal Solidarity March organised in the hill districts to protest against the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the majority Meitei community.

More than 200 people have been killed, several hundred injured and thousands displaced since the violence began.

Previously, the Court had asked the committee led by the former Chief Justice Gita Mittal to examine the issue of deficiencies in the relief camps in Manipur and to submit a report within two months.

On July 20, 2023, the Chief Justice-led Bench had taken suo motu cognizance of the incident of the two women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted, captured in a viral video shared across media platforms. The Court had remarked that "It is time that the Government really steps in and takes action because this is simply unacceptable" and had directed both the Union Government and the State Government to take immediate steps and to apprise the Court of what action has been taken.

The Centre then filed an affidavit stating that the investigation be transferred to the CBI and that the trial of the case be transferred out of Manipur, to be completed within a time frame. It was thereafter that the two women approached the Supreme Court filing an independent proceeding.

[With PTI Inputs]

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