HT Digital
CHURACHANDPUR, MAY 22: In a significant move to boost the legal action against lingering unrest, a sessions court in Manipur’s Churachandpur district has been declared a Special Court to adjudicate cases relating to the ethnic riots that swept the state two years ago.
The announcement is made as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) takes over a number of critical cases arising from the conflict.
Related Posts:
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released an official notification on Thursday, affirming that the Court of District and Sessions Judge, Churachandpur, will be a Special Court under Section 11 of the NIA Act, 2008. The decision was taken after consulting with the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.
“Given the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur, by the Central Government, the Court of District and Sessions Judge, Churachandpur District, Manipur as the Special Court. for trial of the Scheduled Offences investigated by the National Investigation Agency,” the MHA stated in its press release.
The court’s jurisdiction will cover the whole state, with the centralized platform to process sensitive cases attached to the violence.
The NIA is currently probing three major cases related to the ethnic clashes, including the abduction and murder of six women and children in Jiribam—an incident that sparked widespread national outrage. These cases were formally registered in November 2024 after the MHA transferred the investigations to the NIA, citing the severity of the crimes and the fragile law and order situation.
The ethnic clashes, which started on 3rd May 2023, were initiated by agitations by the Kuki-Zo tribal community against Manipur High Court advice to grant the Meitei community Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. This resulted in months of bloodshed between the valley-residing Meiteis and the hill-residing Kuki-Zo communities, resulting in a death toll of at least 260 and displacement of thousands.
The situation worsened to the extent that President’s Rule was declared in Manipur on February 13, 2025, after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned. The state assembly was put under suspended animation, and Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been managing administrative measures to stabilize the area since then.
While central efforts to restore normalcy and re-open vital routes of communication continue to move at a slow pace because of persistent tensions, the creation of the special NIA court is an important step toward providing justice and accountability for the victims of one of Manipur’s most drawn-out and agonizing crises.
