Centre to Submit Forensic Report on Leaked Audio Alleging Biren Singh’s Role in Manipur Violence
New Delhi, April 17, 2025 — The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred hearing a petition filed by the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), which seeks a court-monitored probe into alleged involvement of former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in the ethnic violence that erupted in the state in May 2023. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna postponed the matter to the week beginning May 5, after the Centre informed the court that a forensic report on leaked audio clips related to the violence is ready and would soon be submitted in a sealed cover.
Representing the Centre and the state government, a lawyer informed the court that the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) had completed its report on the authenticity of the audio tapes in question. The court was also told that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who would be filing the report, was currently unavailable, and an adjournment was sought.
The petition, filed by KOHUR and argued by advocate Prashant Bhushan, alleges that the leaked audio tapes implicate the former Chief Minister in instigating and enabling attacks on the Kuki community. The recordings, Bhushan said, feature Mr. Singh allegedly permitting Meitei groups to loot arms and ammunition from state armories. Bhushan insisted that the tapes are deeply disturbing and contain evidence of state complicity in violence against Kuki-dominated regions.
Bhushan also cited a report from Truth Labs, which confirmed a 93% voice match to Biren Singh in the recordings, stating it was more reliable than traditional forensic reports. However, the government’s counsel questioned the credibility of the Truth Labs findings and instead emphasized the pending CFSL report as the official forensic input.
Earlier, a bench headed by former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud had asked the petitioners to submit evidence to verify the authenticity of the clips. KOHUR responded by annexing transcripts and promising to submit the audio recordings in CD format.
In court, the Chief Justice noted the state was “gradually limping back to normalcy” and said the matter would be kept on hold for the time being. The court also left open the question of whether the Supreme Court or the High Court should ultimately hear the matter.
Solicitor General Mehta, while defending the government’s stance, pointed out that the petitioner had ideological inclinations and referred to a report from a committee of three high court judges that suggested there were efforts to prolong tensions in the state. He also reiterated that such a plea could be filed in a High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution.
Background
The ethnic conflict in Manipur erupted in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki communities, leading to over 260 deaths and the displacement of thousands. Amid growing unrest and internal pressure within the BJP, Biren Singh resigned from his position as Chief Minister on February 9, 2025.
KOHUR’s petition claims Singh played a central role in orchestrating and enabling the large-scale violence, and seeks a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe to expose what it describes as a “conspiracy involving the highest levels of the state machinery.”
The Supreme Court’s next hearing on the matter is expected in the first week of May, during which the contents of the CFSL forensic report could play a decisive role in determining the future course of the case.