The Supreme Court on Friday asked Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta to nominate one or more judicial officers in Assam to take charge of the pre-trial processes in 27 cases related to the ethnic violence in Manipur, including crimes committed against women and children, which were transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud passed the order on an application filed by Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the investigating agency.
Mr. Mehta indicated that judicial officers may belong to one tribal community or the other, and pre-trial hearings may cause a furore or an apprehension of bias in a State which was still restive after months of ethnic violence. Mr. Mehta said Assam was chosen in consultation with the CBI because the two States shared a common border. Easy connectivity between Assam and Manipur was also a bonus.
