* Asks state government to provide relief to all irrespective of who they were
New Delhi, Sept 6
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Manipur government to seize all illegal arms which have reportedly been procured by raiding police stations across Manipur.
The bench also asked the government there to ensure that relief is provided to all affected persons irrespective of their ethnic background.
The state has been rocked by ethnic violence for the last few months and many have died in the ethnic clashes.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud had earlier send a team of former judges to restore peace in the state and to lend a healing touch to the affected.
The violence, however, continues. Taking further stock of things today, the bench asked the state government to seize all arms in the state save those that were with the police and the administration.
These arms have reportedly been procured by the erring from raids on police armouries and army depots across the state.
The top court also took two more steps to ensure fairness in administration in the state. It directed that all affected by the violence be provided adequate relief in terms of food and shelter irrespective of who they were.
There were allegations in court that there was not enough relief material to go around, a fact contested by the state government.
The court also gave interim protection from arrest to co-authors of a book on Kuki contribution in the Indian freedom struggle. The state had filed an FIR against them.
They were unable to get a copy of the FIR or local lawyers, senior advocate Anand Grover claimed. In this context, he cited the example of the attack on the house of one of the lawyers who represented Professor in political science, Hyderabad university, Kham Khan Suan Hausing.
Hausing is also facing an FIR over his remarks on the ethnic violence in the state.
Grover argued that the co-authors haven’t been able to find local lawyers due to this reason and have had to approach the top court. The top court bench, which also included Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra, extended interim protection to them from any coercive action for now.
The Supreme Court Bar Association condemned these attacks, insisting that every lawyer was free to appear for any litigant he wishes to and cannot be intimidated.
The bench directed the state government to also start disposing of dead bodies which have been placed in morgues for months now. “They can’t be kept like that for too long. It will lead to the outbreak of some disease,” the CJI told the state.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had created a stir of sorts when he had claimed that most of the dead were infiltrators, a fact which was vigorously contested by the petitioners, who include aggrieved Manipuris, activists and others in know of the situation there.
The state has been rocked by clashes between the majority Hindu Meiteis and the minority Christian Kukis. The state government, the Kukis claim, was partisan and was openly siding with the Meiteis. The CM of the state is a Meitei.
