Supreme Court Seeks 2 Exclusive Special Courts To Fast-Track CBI And NIA Cases Linked To 2023 Manipur Violence

New Delhi, August 10, 2026: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Manipur and Assam governments and other authorities to consider setting up two special courts exclusively to hear cases investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and National Investigation Agency (NIA) arising from the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also directed authorities to compile details of cases in which chargesheets have been filed. The move is aimed at ensuring that victims, their families and legal counsel can access relevant case records and track the proceedings.

Two Exclusive Courts Proposed

Taking stock of the investigations, the Supreme Court said one exclusive court could deal with CBI cases and another with NIA cases related to the Manipur violence. The bench directed the registrar general of the high court concerned to submit a status report before the next hearing.

"The authorities shall consider setting up two separate exclusive courts, one for dealing with the CBI cases and another for dealing with the NIA cases arising out of the Manipur violence. The registrar general of the high court shall submit a status report in this regard before the next date of hearing," the bench ordered.

The Chief Justice said the court had devised a mechanism to monitor the investigations and had also issued directions regarding reports concerning the probes.

The court noted that chargesheets had already been filed in several cases and said details such as case numbers and the status of proceedings should be made available to victims, their families and lawyers.

"The request is that particulars of those cases, including the relevant case numbers and status of the proceedings, be made available so that the legal counsel as well as the families concerned have access to the reports and proceedings. We accept the request and direct that the relevant particulars and reports be compiled and placed before the court," the bench said.

The direction is significant because access to case records will allow victims and their families to follow the progress of cases arising from violence that erupted more than three years ago.

Court Questions Existing Arrangements

The bench said it had considered status reports on cases investigated by the CBI and NIA and the courts where chargesheets had been filed. It noted that Special Judges were already dealing with CBI and NIA cases.

However, the court wanted to know whether these judges were exclusively handling cases arising from the Manipur violence or were also dealing with other matters. It then asked the authorities to consider creating two separate exclusive courts for the Manipur cases.

The proposal indicates the court's focus is shifting beyond investigations to the progress of trials, particularly as chargesheets have already been filed in several cases.

Security Agencies Told To Coordinate

The bench also noted facts relating to attacks on Assam Rifles and protests seeking the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the census.

"As regards the safety and security situation in Manipur, joint action by the Manipur Police and security forces has strengthened the process of recovery of arms and ammunition, as well as arrests. With respect to the law-and-order situation, the CBI and NIA shall be facilitated so that they are able to carry out their investigation uninterruptedly," the court said.

It directed the Manipur government, central agencies and security agencies to provide the necessary support and coordination for the proper functioning of the system and maintenance of security, including the safety of students.

CBI And NIA Case Status

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the court that the CBI had investigated 31 cases and filed final reports in 27 of them. These included 22 chargesheets and five closure reports, PTI reported.

Four CBI cases remain under investigation. Courts have taken cognisance in 20 of the 22 cases in which chargesheets have been filed, while cognisance is pending in two.

Bhati said only one of the cases was triable by a magistrate, while the remaining matters were Sessions trials. All CBI cases have been transferred to Gauhati.

The NIA was entrusted with 30 cases and has filed chargesheets in 15. Investigations are continuing in the remaining 15 cases, the court was told.

"The 15 charge-sheeted cases are ripe for trial despite further investigation continuing, and charges have been framed in seven of them," Bhati said.

Of the 15 NIA cases in which chargesheets have been filed, two are before a Delhi court, five are before courts in Gauhati and eight are in Manipur.

The figures underline the scale of the legal process that has followed the violence and the challenge of moving multiple cases from investigation to trial across different courts.

Victims' Access To Records

Senior advocate Vrinda Grover raised concerns about the availability of status reports and chargesheets, telling the court that victims and their families had not received documents despite earlier directions.

Responding to the submissions, Bhati said the Supreme Court had been seized of the matter since 2023 and had established a mechanism to monitor investigations as well as a committee to examine other issues arising from the violence.

She submitted that raising broader issues again would take the proceedings back to their initial stage and said the focus should now remain on the chargesheets and cases in which trials were to proceed.

Violence Since 2023

Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the demand for Scheduled Tribe status for the majority Meitei community.

More than 200 people have been killed, several hundred injured and thousands displaced since the violence began.

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With investigations in several cases now resulting in chargesheets, the Supreme Court's push for dedicated courts could become an important step in moving the cases towards trial while ensuring victims and their families have greater access to information about the proceedings.

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