Imphal, Jan 28: The Supreme Court on January 28 extended the tenure of the Justice Gita Mittal-led committee supervising relief and rehabilitation of victims of ethnic violence in Manipur until July 31, 2026.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order after being informed that the committee’s earlier term had formally ended in July last year, although it continued functioning. The court noted that the panel had already submitted 42 reports addressing various aspects of relief, rehabilitation and compensation. Regularising its continued work, the bench granted a formal extension until July 31, 2026.
The committee was constituted by the apex court on August 7, 2023, to oversee relief measures, rehabilitation efforts and compensation for those affected by the violence in Manipur. Former Maharashtra Director General of Police Dattatray Padsalgikar was also appointed to monitor investigations related to criminal cases arising from the unrest.
Headed by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal, the three-member panel includes former Bombay High Court judge Justice Shalini P. Joshi and former Delhi High Court judge Justice Asha Menon. The committee reports directly to the Supreme Court, which has been continuously monitoring developments linked to the violence.
The panel was formed days after the court described as “deeply disturbing” a video that surfaced during the unrest, showing women being paraded naked.
Ethnic violence in Manipur began on May 3, 2023, following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised in hill districts to oppose the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Since then, the clashes have claimed more than 200 lives, injured hundreds and displaced thousands across the state.
