Manipur Violence: Supreme Court calls for updated status report after State claims that situation has improved

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned a plea relating to the recent outbreak of violence in Manipur for a week after the State government submitted that it would file an updated status report indicating measures taken. .A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud with Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra were informed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the situation was improving slowly. "Let us have an updated status report...it should have details like rehabilitation camps, law and order, recovery of arms etc," the CJI said..During the hearing, Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves told the Court that last night, there were three killings, including the beheading of a tribal man."It is the first beheading...armed Meites are crossing the lines...Kukis are hiding..." he submitted.He added that the situation had become extreme. .However, the Bench agreed to wait for the updated status report. .The Supreme Court was hearing an interlocutory application (IA) filed by the Manipur Tribal Forum alleging that the Central government's assurances to the top court with regard to the recent outbreak of violence in Manipur are false..The Forum had sought deployment of the Army in tribal areas to control the situation.Earlier, on June 20, a vacation bench had refused to urgently list the IA. .The application filed on June 9 by the tribal welfare body alleged that since the last hearing in the apex court, 81 more persons belonging to the Kuki tribe were killed and 31,410 Kukis had been displaced.Further, 237 churches and 73 administrative quarters were torched and 141 villages destroyed, the Court was told.It stressed that the media coverage portraying the violence as a clash between two tribal communities is far from the truth. The attackers are backed by the ruling party in power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Forum contended.Therefore, without such groups being arrested and prosecuted, 'any semblance of peace will be fragile', the application said..The Forum was among the parties which had moved the top court seeking directions to the Central and State governments to evacuate Manipuri Tribals who had fled to CRPF camps and to ensure that they reach their residences safely under a security escort.On May 8, the Manipur government assured the Supreme Court that concerns regarding the ongoing violence will be addressed and that remedial measures will be taken on a proactive basis.The Court had then called for due arrangements to be made in relief camps and for necessary precautions to be taken to rehabilitate displaced persons and to protect places of religious worship.The Union Home Ministry had later constituted a committee led by former Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajay Lamba to probe the matter.The Forum submitted that this arrangement is unacceptable, as it was done without consulting the tribal groups who are the victims..[Read our live-coverage of the hearing below]