We do not propose to run Manipur’s administration, says SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday remarked that it does not intend to run the Manipur administration and trusts the court-appointed committee headed by J&K High Court’s former Chief Justice Gita Mittal.

“Either we scrap the committee and hear this matter after every four weeks. We don’t have time to hear this matter every week because we do not propose to run the Manipur administration in the Supreme Court,” said a bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra when lawyers appearing in the matter started raising various issues.

On the claim that lawyers from a particular community are unable to attend court proceedings in the northeastern state, the bench asked the President of Manipur High Court Bar Association to produce, by the next date of listing, a compilation of sample orders indicating that lawyers from all communities have appeared before the High Court.

“Give us 100 orders that members belonging to all communities are appearing before the High Court,” the top court said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Manipur government, referred to the report filed by the Registrar of the Manipur High Court providing details of proceedings undertaken in a total of 2,638 cases listed over a period of 15 days. He requested the court not to “segregate” lawyers on the basis of community.

The Supreme Court said that it only asked for tabular information to satisfy the “conscience of the court” to ensure that no community is excluded from access to justice. “We have to satisfy our conscience that members of the bar are not being prevented irrespective of their religious affiliation,” it said.

Also, it asked Manipur’s Advocate General to make sure that video conferencing facilities are operationalised in all 16 court complexes of the state within a period of one week.

The top court ordered that the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and Manipur government, after due verification, will provide copies of Aadhar cards to people displaced in the ethnic strife.

In the previous hearing, SG Mehta had submitted a status report on recovery of arms from “all sources” pursuant to an earlier order passed by the top court on September 6.