SC directs appointment of legal aid lawyers to Manipur violence victims without delay

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (March 24, 2026) took exception to the delay by the Manipur and Assam authorities to provide legal aid lawyers for the victims of the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence even a month after an apex court order.

A Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said all that was required to be done was to pick up a lawyer conversant in criminal law from the legal services authorities’ pool. Some of the serious cases investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were being tried in Assam.

The apex court order on February 26 had directed the appointment of legal aid counsel for the victims, and directed the CBI to provide victims copies of the chargesheets in their respective cases.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the victims’ side, said they had been given neither chargesheets nor legal aid counsel.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati said the submission made was not true, and she was under instruction from the CBI to inform the court that chargesheets had indeed been provided to the victims.

The court recorded the Manipur Advocate General’s assurance that he would personally ensure the appointment of legal aid counsel.

The court said the chargesheet, if any had to be given, could be handed over to the legal aid lawyers concerned once they were appointed to represent the victims in trial proceedings.

In the previous hearing, the court had asked the CBI to file a status report detailing whether the agency had compiled sufficient evidence to “bring home the guilt” to persons accused of various heinous offences, including the sexual assault and gangrape of women during the sectarian violence that rocked the northeastern State.