Supreme Court has agreed to hear petitions pertaining to Manipur Riots today.
The petitions includes the Manipur Tribal Forum Delhi seeking SIT probe into Manipur Violence & relief of victims.
The petition includes challenging Manipur High Court order on suggesting inclusion of Meiti community in ST list.
The Supreme Court of India had asked the Union Government to ensure due arrangements in relief camps in terms of food, while recording the statement of the Union Government that no violence has taken place in Manipur during the last two days and that normalcy is returning to the state.
Calling it a humanitarian issue, the Court said that the Union Government should ensure that proper steps are taken to rehabilitate people who have been displaced and to make sure that places of worship were protected.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala listed the matter for further hearing on May 17.
The top court observed that it was only the President of India, not the High Court, which had the power to identify and recommend a tribe as ST.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the Union of India. He apprised the Court that 52 companies of Central Armed Police Forces and 105 columns of Army/Assam Rifles have been deployed in Manipur and that flag marches have been conducted in disturbed areas.
He further said that a senior police officer has been appointed by the Government as security advisor, while a senior IAS officer has been repatriated from Central deputation to the State to function as its Chief Secretary amid the emergency situation. Peace meetings have been conducted and constant vigil was being maintained, added the law officer.
He said as a result of these measures, no violence has been reported in the state for the past two days and the situation was gradually returning to normalcy.
The SG said curfew was relaxed today for a period of four hours across the state and it was relaxed for a few hours yesterday.
The Army, paramilitary forces and other government authorities were working in tandem on ground. The government was making all out efforts for the situation to calm down, said the SG, while asking the Bench to list the matter after a week.
The Apex Court was considering two petitions – one, filed by Manipur Tribal Forum Delhi seeking SIT probe into the violence and relief for the victims; two, filed by Chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, Dinganglung Gangmei, challenging the direction of the Manipur High Court to forward a recommendation to the Union Government to include Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list.