The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the CBI and Manipur SITs to provide copies of chargesheets filed by them in the Manipur ethnic violence cases to the victims and their families.
The directions were issued after the top court perused the 12th status report filed by former Maharashtra Police chief Dattatray Padsalgikar, who was entrusted with the task to monitor probes into the criminal cases in Manipur.
Padsalgikar, in his report, said the CBI has filed chargesheets in the special court in 20 violence cases and the probes in six other FIRs were underway and would be concluded in the next six months.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi asked the CBI to ensure that the investigation in remaining violence cases are completed within stipulated time and chargesheets are filed.
Taking note of submissions of senior advocate Vrinda Grover that the victims and their families are in dark on the fate of cases, the CJI asked the CBI and the SITs of state police to share the copies of charge sheets with the affected persons.
“The Manipur State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) and the Assam State Legal Services Authority are directed to provide a free legal aid counsel to each victim,” the bench said, adding that such lawyers should be proficient in local language so that victims and their families can communicate with them.
The bench directed the Manipur SLSA to foot the bills for travelling and boarding of legal aid counsels for their trips to Guwahati for the trial in the cases.
The top court had earlier transferred the cases to Assam from Manipur. It also asked the legal services authority to bear the expenses of the victims and their family members for their travel and stay in Guwahati for attending the cases. It said one person per case can avail this facility.
SC asks CBI, SITs to provide copy of chargesheets to Manipur violence victims
