Leaked audio tapes, including telephonic conversations involving Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh, have sparked controversy, with allegations that Singh instigated violence. The matter is now before the Supreme Court, and in a recent development, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna has intervened, a move with significant ramifications for Biren Singh.
On Tuesday (January 28, 2025), CJI Sanjiv Khanna stated that the Supreme Court might consider an early hearing of a plea filed by the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust seeking a court-monitored investigation into the leaked audio clips. The plea alleges that Biren Singh was involved in inciting ethnic violence in the state.
The plea was represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, who made an oral request for an urgent hearing. However, CJI Khanna instructed Bhushan to first submit a written application.
Mr. Bhushan argued that the petitioner had already complied with the Supreme Court's direction from a previous hearing on November 11, 2024, by submitting the audio tapes and other materials to substantiate its claims. The case was initially listed for February 7, but the petitioner has now sought an earlier hearing.
“The petitioner is being hounded,” Mr. Bhushan stated on behalf of the Kuki Organization. In response, CJI Khanna said, “We will examine. Please give a request [for an urgent hearing] in writing… In case of extreme urgency, we will advance [the court hearing].”
The leaked audio tapes, allegedly shared by a whistleblower, reportedly contain telephone conversations in which CM Biren Singh was instigating violence, according to the plea. The petition seeks a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the leaked clips.
In November 2024, both Attorney General R. Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the Supreme Court not to take up the case. Mr. Mehta questioned why Mr. Bhushan had approached the Supreme Court directly instead of first filing the plea in the Manipur High Court.
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