Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, August 7: The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it proposes to issue an order creating 42 Special Investigation Teams (SIT) to look into Manipur violence cases that have not yet been forwarded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Cases have been moved to the CBI, however, a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud stated that in order to maintain trust in the rule of law, it is recommending that five officers with at least Deputy SP ranks be brought into the CBI from various states.
“These officers will also be functioning within the four corners of the infrastructure and administrative structure of CBI. There will be 42 SITs looking at cases that have not been transferred to CBI”, the top court said.
Six DIG-level officers brought from outside Manipur would supervise the SITs already looking into cases that have not been forwarded to the CBI.
The highest court announced that it is thinking of appointing a committee made up of three former judges of the High Court to look into the inquiry, relief, corrective actions, compensation, rehabilitation, etc.
“The Committee of three former judges will be headed by Justice Gita Mittal, and also comprise Justice Shalini Joshi, Justice Asha Menon”, SC said.
The top court further stated that an IPS officer shall oversee CBI inquiries.
Dattatray Padsalgikar, a former police commissioner for Mumbai, would be in charge of overseeing the investigation.
In the meantime, Manipur’s DGP Rajiv Singh appeared before the Supreme Court under the court’s order.
After ethnic violence between the two tribal tribes of Meities and Kukis, Manipur had been in the news for the previous three months and the Manipur High Court had directed the state government to take into consideration adding one of the communities to the list of Scheduled Tribes.
