Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Union government over its delay in submitting a forensic report on an audio recording allegedly featuring former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. The Court had requested the report three months ago but has yet to receive it.
A bench comprising Justices P.V. Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sarma raised the issue during a hearing, asking Solicitor General Tushar Mehta why the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) had not yet completed its analysis of the tape. Mehta informed the court that the lab required two more weeks to complete the report.
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“What happened to the forensic report? It should have been submitted by now. This order was passed in May. The laboratory must have completed the analysis by this time,” Justice Kumar remarked. When Mehta responded that the report was still pending, the bench expressed concern about the prolonged delay. “How long does CFSL need to analyze a voice recording? This cannot continue indefinitely,” Justice Kumar added, according to Live Law.
The court had initially addressed this issue on May 5, when a bench led by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Kumar told Mehta that the state must not shield anyone found guilty of wrongdoing in connection with the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur. That statement came after Mehta questioned the credibility of the petitioner, the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR).
KOHUR had asked the Supreme Court to investigate the contents of audio recordings, which allegedly feature N. Biren Singh admitting involvement in the outbreak of ethnic violence that has so far claimed over 250 lives and displaced more than 50,000 people across the state. Many of the displaced remain in relief camps.
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In November 2024, the Supreme Court agreed to examine the tapes, directing the petitioner to provide authentication. Prior to that, in September 2024, The Wire had published the tapes in the public interest, following their acceptance by the judicial commission probing the violence, formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
To authenticate the recordings, KOHUR approached Truth Labs, a reputed private forensic firm. The lab found a 93% voice match between the tape and verified samples of Biren Singh’s voice. However, the government chose to submit a report from a government-controlled lab instead, which the court accepted.
Despite being scheduled to submit the lab report in April, the government sought an extension as Solicitor General Mehta was unavailable due to his appearance in another case concerning the Waqf (Amendment) Act. During that hearing, another government counsel claimed the report was ready.
In May, Mehta appeared in court and submitted a sealed cover, urging the bench to allow the investigation to continue without escalating tensions. “Let the investigation go on. Peace is prevailing,” Mehta said.
After reviewing the sealed report, the court expressed dissatisfaction. “What is this FSL report?” Justice Khanna asked, prompting Mehta to admit he had not examined its contents. The court then instructed him to review the material and bring a new report for submission.
The bench asked the government to file the fresh report during the week beginning July 21. However, on Tuesday, Mehta told the bench that the new report was still not ready and requested more time. The court accepted the request and scheduled the next hearing for August 19.
Reacting to the delay, KOHUR chairman H.S. Benjamin Mate criticized the slow progress of the case. Speaking to The Wire, he said, “Over two years have passed since the Kuki-Zo community suffered brutal violence, losing lives, homes, and livelihoods. Despite clear evidence pointing to the involvement of former Chief Minister Biren Singh, the court has yet to take action.”
Mate added, “The Supreme Court’s intervention helped stop the targeted violence, but we now urge it to fast-track the investigation. The audio tape is vital to ensure justice for our community. Justice delayed is justice denied.”