In a significant development aimed at addressing the lingering wounds of the ethnic unrest in Manipur, the Government of India has designated the Court of the District and Sessions Judge in Churachandpur as a Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court. This court will now handle cases related to the ethnic violence that erupted in the state in May 2023, which has since left over 260 people dead and thousands displaced. The official notification was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday. According to the MHA, the designation was made under Section 11 of the NIA Act, 2008, and in consultation with the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court. The special court will have jurisdiction across the entire state, empowering it to try high-profile and sensitive cases linked to the prolonged ethnic conflict.
“The Central Government, in consultation with the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur, hereby designates the Court of District and Sessions Judge, Churachandpur District, Manipur as the Special Court… for the trial of the Scheduled Offences investigated by the National Investigation Agency,” the official notification stated. This legal upgrade comes at a time when the NIA has taken charge of three major cases related to the violence, including the abduction and murder of six women and children in Jiribam—a case that drew nationwide condemnation. These cases were handed over to the agency in November 2024, following the MHA’s assessment that the crimes involved national security and required impartial, central-level investigation.
The ethnic violence was triggered by protests from the Kuki-Zo tribal groups against a controversial recommendation by the Manipur High Court to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community. What followed was an eruption of communal clashes between the Meiteis in the Imphal valley and the Kuki-Zo tribes in the surrounding hill districts, plunging the state into months of turmoil. Despite multiple efforts at reconciliation and security reinforcements, peace has remained elusive. With rising tension and a breakdown in administrative order, President’s Rule was imposed in the state on February 13, 2025, following the resignation of then Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. The state assembly was placed under suspended animation. Currently, the administration is being overseen by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, under whom limited progress has been made in reopening blocked roads and restoring civil services. Sporadic violence and continued mistrust between communities have made recovery slow and uncertain.
