Today, the Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud is scheduled to hear a petition filed by a Delhi-based body for Manipur tribal communities seeking the constitution of a Special Investigation Team to investigate the attacks and violence which has gripped the northeastern State.

On Saturday, the Petitioner filed an urgently listed for hearing, before a three-judge Bench headed by the Chief Justice and accompanied by Justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala.

Adv. Satya Mitra filed a petition on behalf of Tribal Community and senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, said the situation in the State was “extreme” and these “attacks had the full support of the party in power in the State as well as the Centre which supports the dominant group and has planned the attacks on account of a non-secular agenda”.

The petition said armed groups were seen roving with semi-automatic weapons, doing house searches, in Manipur.

“Petitioners have a few videos and photos of the assailants during the assault on the tribals and some of these videos and photos show burning of churches, beating of tribals and assailants walking around with semi-automatic weapons, which is surprising because even the police force would not be in possession of such modern and deadly weapons,” the petition said.

It said there was also a spread of online hate speech.

“Thirty tribals were killed by the dominant community and 132 injured… Neither FIR was registered nor was there any investigation taking place as the police itself is on the side of the dominant community and has stood by idle while the killings took place,” the petition alleged.

The forum has urged the court to direct an SIT to be headed by a former DGP of Assam to investigate and prosecute the crimes.

The tribal body has alleged that the conditions faced by tribal people sheltered in six CRPF camps are “deplorable and pathetic”. “Each of them holds approximately a thousand-odd tribals and more, with many of them without food and most of them have not been able to have a bath for days. Their conditions are deplorable and pathetic,” the petition said.

It has sought a direction to take the tribal people back to their homes in the hill districts.

The Bench would also hear a separate petition filed by Chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, Dinganglung Gangmei, who has challenged a State High Court order to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community. The petition alleged that the High Court order led to the Meitei-Kuki clashes in Manipur.