The Supreme Court on March 17 extended the tenure of the Justice Gita Mittal Committee until July 31. The committee is overseeing various humanitarian concerns arising from the ethnic violence in Manipur. 

Additionally, the Court clarified that cases of sexual violence, currently under investigation by the CBI and transferred to Assam for pre-trial proceedings, will be tried in Guwahati courts.  

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and Joymalya Bagchi issued the order.

"The Committee headed by Justice Gita Mittal, former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court is extended till 31st July, 2025"

The bench further directed that the Committee's reports be provided to the Government, except for those containing sensitive matters. Senior Advocate Vibha Makhija, serving as the amicus, represented the committee. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared on behalf of the Union, while Advocate Nizam Pasha represented the tribal groups and victims.

The Court also clarified its earlier order from August 2023, in which it directed the transfer of sexual violence cases handled by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to Assam for pre-trial procedures. The bench explicitly stated that the trial for these cases, once transferred to Guwahati, would be conducted there itself.

" We clarify that the trial of the transferred will be before the concerned courts in Guwahati" the bench observed.

The clarification arose during the hearing of an impleadment application filed by a petitioner regarding certain charges framed in the ethnic clashes in the state.

The petitioner informed the Court that, although the chargesheet had been filed, the Guwahati Court had not yet taken cognizance, and the trial had not commenced. Additionally, the Union was granted three weeks to submit a list of properties that had been burned, looted, or encroached upon during the ongoing ethnic clashes. On December 9, the Court had directed the Central Government to provide this list in a sealed cover.

The matter is now scheduled for hearing on July 21.