SC seeks status report from Manipur government on recovery of arms from all sources

SC seeks status report from Manipur govt on arms recovery from all sources. SG Tushar Mehta denies food/medicine scarcity in relief camps.

The Supreme Court on September 6 sought a status report from the Manipur government on the recovery of arms “from all sources” made so far. The petitioners had alleged that weapons were plundered from the State armoury and used during the ethnic violence.

An affidavit filed by the Manipur Chief Secretary denied any outbreak of chickenpox or measles in the relief camps. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for Manipur, said there was no scarcity of food or medicine in any of the nine relief camps.

The affidavit said the information presented by the counsel for the Justice Gita Mittal Committee about the scarcity of food and medicine and an outbreak of measles and chicken pox was unfounded. Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, the counsel for the panel, suggested she would then recuse in the face of the aspersions made by the Manipur government on affidavit. However, the court observed that Ms. Arora was only acting as an officer of the court.

The Bench, in the second consecutive hearing, asked the Manipur government to take a call on the unclaimed bodies of those killed in the violence lying in the mortuaries for the past four months.

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said the State needs to make a decision on them before they become a source of disease.

The court further gave the Centre and Manipur government three days to sit down with the Justice Gita Mittal Committee to discuss and decide on the appointment of experts to help the panel with its work of monitoring the rehabilitation in Manipur.