Imphal: A five-member Supreme Court delegation, led by Justice B.R. Gavai, visited relief camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur on Saturday, amidst the ongoing ethnic violence.
Justice Gavai, the senior-most Supreme Court judge and Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), was accompanied by Justices Vikram Nath, M.M. Sundresh, K.V. Vishwanathan, and N. Kotiswar Singh.
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The team conducted inspections at the Moirang College relief center in Bishnupur district, where they virtually inaugurated free legal and medical service camps and distributed relief materials to the IDPs.
Prior to this, Justices Gavai, Nath, Sundresh, and Vishwanathan travelled by helicopter from Imphal Airport to Churachandpur district headquarters.
From the Mini Secretariat in Churachandpur, they virtually inaugurated a legal services camp, a medical camp, and a legal aid clinic.
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The delegation also visited the Sadbhavana Mandap relief center, interacted with IDPs, and distributed essential supplies. During the visits, Justice Gavai assured the displaced individuals that peace would eventually return to the state.
The team later visited the Indian National Army (INA) museum in Moirang and the Keibul Lamjao National Park. They are also scheduled to attend the 12th-anniversary celebration of the Manipur High Court on Sunday.
Notably, Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, who belongs to the Meitei community, did not join the delegation’s visit to Churachandpur district following objections from a local lawyers’ body.
The ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities, which began on May 3, 2023, reportedly originated in the Churachandpur district, leading to the displacement of over 60,000 people.