New Delhi, Dec 15: The Supreme Court on Monday sought an explanation as to why the entire set of leaked audio clips, allegedly pointing to the role of former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the 2023 ethnic violence, was not sent for forensic examination.
Expressing concern, the apex court said it was “a little disturbed” by an affidavit filed by the petitioners on November 20, which indicated that only selected portions of the audio recordings were forwarded for analysis. The court questioned the authorities on why the complete leaked audio, running close to 48 minutes, was not sent to the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gujarat.
A Bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and Alok Aradhe noted that the selective submission raised doubts, especially since the NFSU had earlier reported that the audio clips examined by it were “tampered with”, effectively giving a clean chit.
Former chief minister N Biren Singh had resigned on February 9 amid internal dissent within the BJP and growing demands for a change in leadership in Manipur.
During the hearing, the Bench observed that the affidavit relied upon by the petitioners had apparently not been served on the respondents. Referring to its contents, the court remarked that it suggested only select clippings were sent for forensic testing, a situation it found unsatisfactory.
Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, said it was possible that the complete set of audio clips submitted to the court was not forwarded to the NFSU. He informed the court that the total recordings were around 56 minutes, of which 48 minutes had been filed. The remaining portion, he said, could reveal the identity of the person who made the recording and might endanger his life.
The Bench, however, maintained that once the full material was available, the entire audio should have been sent for examination. “Why should only limited material be sent?” the court asked, adding that the issue should not lead to further delays.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, sought a week’s time to respond to the affidavit. Taking the affidavit on record, the court fixed January 7 as the next date of hearing.
The matter arises from a petition filed by the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), which has sought an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the leaked audio clips.
Earlier, on November 3, the Supreme Court had noted that the NFSU found signs of editing and tampering in the audio clips, rendering them unfit for scientific voice comparison. Bhushan, however, referred to a separate forensic report claiming that at least one recording was unedited.
The court has been closely monitoring the forensic examination process. On August 19, it had criticised the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for a “misdirected” exercise, clarifying that it had sought voice matching, not authentication of the clips. Subsequently, on August 25, the court referred the matter to the NFSU, Gandhinagar, to examine whether the recordings were edited or tampered with and to ascertain whether the voices matched across the clips.
The case is linked to the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023 between the Meitei community in the Imphal Valley and the Kuki communities in the hill districts. The violence has claimed over 260 lives and displaced thousands.
The unrest began after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in protest against a Manipur High Court order related to the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
KOHUR has alleged that the leaked recordings prima facie indicate complicity of the state machinery and accuse N Biren Singh of inciting and orchestrating violence against Kuki-Zo dominated areas—an allegation strongly denied by the former chief minister.
