Manipur Inquiry Panel Urged to Initiate FIR Against Chief Minister Biren Singh

Advocate Prashant Bhushan’s Plea is Based on the Contents of the ‘Manipur Tapes’

Newsreel Asia Insight #320
September 6, 2024

Advocate Prashant Bhushan has formally requested the inquiry commission, established by the Union Home Ministry to investigate ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, to register a First Information Report (FIR) against the state’s Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh. The plea is based on the contents of the “Manipur Tapes,” which allegedly feature Singh’s voice. Representing the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights, Bhushan accuses Singh of “conspiring and orchestrating heinous crimes” against the Kuki-Zo people, asserting that his removal from office is “necessary.”

In a detailed letter dated Sept. 4, 2024, addressed to the Commission of Inquiry into Manipur Violence, 2023, chaired by Justice Ajai Lamba, Bhushan included a 48-minute audio recording with the letter as a critical piece of evidence.

The recording, which was recently brought into the public domain by The Wire after being officially submitted to the inquiry commission weeks earlier, was captured during a closed-door meeting. In the recording, Singh is purportedly heard admitting to the alleged crimes.

The complaint, a copy of which has been obtained by Newsreel Asia, alleges that Singh and unidentified accomplices conspired to commit mass murder and sexual offenses, among other crimes, as indicated by the recording. According to Bhushan, the recording includes admissions by Singh of using heavy bombs and arms looted from state armouries against the Kuki-Zo-dominated areas.

Bhushan’s letter alleges that state forces and machinery, under Singh’s direction, were involved in perpetuating violence against the Kuki-Zo community. It adds that his actions allegedly supported terrorists and anti-social elements in escalating the conflict and obstructed justice in cases involving rape and other atrocities committed against the Kuki-Zo people.

Since May 3, 2023, at least 67,000 people have been displaced, and 191 Kuki-Zo deaths have been reported. While the Meitei community has also suffered greatly, Meitei groups have not released the number of their fatalities and casualties. There is now almost complete ethnic segregation, with Kuki-Zo families relocating away from the Imphal area and Meiteis moving out of regions dominated by the Kuki-Zo.

The Manipur government has dismissed the audio as “doctored,” asserting that the claims of it being Singh’s voice are false. Although excerpts of the recording surfaced on social media over a month ago, the state government has not cited any forensic evidence to support its assertion nor indicated that a forensic examination is underway. Instead, it initially announced it was investigating the recording’s source and stated that those responsible for it could face arrest. Days later, the recording was submitted to the Commission, along with an affidavit attesting to its authenticity from the individuals who made the recording at the chief minister’s official residence.

Advocate Bhushan implores the Commission to act swiftly, arguing that regular police channels are ineffective due to the charged ethnic environment and Chief Minister Singh’s influence over local law enforcement, given his control of the home portfolio. The letter underlines the urgency of the situation, citing ongoing violence and the potential danger to the whistleblower who recorded the meeting with Singh.

The letter concludes by stating that the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights will approach the Supreme Court should the Commission fail to act.

Manipur is home to three main ethnic communities: the majority Meitei people, who live in the Imphal valley, and the Kuki-Zo and Naga tribes, who inhabit the surrounding hills. The violence in Manipur began weeks after an April 2023 directive from the Manipur High Court, which seemed to suggest granting tribal status to the majority Meitei community. This status would allow them to purchase land in the hills, traditionally inhabited by the Kuki-Zo tribes, sparking fears among the Kuki-Zo of losing their ancestral lands.

The region’s valuable natural resources, including oil, particularly in the hills where tribal communities reside, have attracted government and corporate interest.