The Centre has extended the tenure of the Commission of Inquiry investigating the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur by another six months, pushing the deadline for submission of its report to November 20, 2026.
According to a notification issued on May 14, the three-member inquiry panel headed by former Supreme Court of India judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan has been directed to submit its findings “as soon as possible but not later than November 20, 2026”.
The commission was constituted on June 4, 2023, shortly after large-scale ethnic violence erupted across Manipur following a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised in the hill districts on May 3, 2023.
The march was held to oppose the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the Meitei community.
The violence claimed the lives of more than 260 people and displaced thousands of residents as houses, shops and other properties were set on fire in widespread arson attacks.
The unrest also exposed deep ethnic tensions between the Meitei community and the Kuki community, with sporadic incidents continuing even after the initial outbreak of violence.
The inquiry panel was initially headed by former Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajai Lamba, who stepped down from the post with effect from February 28 this year. Justice Chauhan took charge as chairman on March 1.
This is the fifth extension granted to the commission so far. Earlier extensions were issued in September and December 2024, followed by two more in May and December 2025. The previous deadline for submission of the report was May 20, 2026.
As per the terms of reference, the panel is examining the sequence of events that led to the violence and whether there were lapses or negligence on the part of authorities or individuals responsible for maintaining law and order.
The commission is also reviewing whether adequate administrative and security measures were taken to prevent the violence and control the situation after clashes broke out.
In addition, complaints and representations submitted by individuals and organisations are being examined as part of the inquiry process.
Tensions in the state had reportedly been building even before the violence in May 2023, particularly over eviction drives carried out in reserved forest areas, which had triggered protests in several districts.
While announcing the inquiry in 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs had described the matter as one of “public importance” due to the scale of violence and destruction witnessed across the state.
