The Supreme Court has given families one week to claim the bodies of those people who died in the Manipur violence on May 3, 2023. This decision comes after a report from a special committee appointed by the Supreme Court. The committee, led by three former judges, was looking into the relief and rebuilding efforts in Manipur.
The committee went to Manipur with Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi to see the situation. The Supreme Court had set up this committee in October 2023 to deal with the issues arising from the violence.
During a hearing, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said that if families identify the bodies, they can bury them in any of nine designated places. If the bodies are not claimed within a week, the state government will do the last rites.
The court said it's not right to keep unclaimed bodies in mortuaries for too long. Out of 175 bodies, 169 have been identified, but 88 are still unclaimed. There are also six bodies that haven't been identified yet. The state can bury these bodies following certain rules.
This follows the Manipur High Court's earlier order to stop violence related to a burial site. The Kuki community wanted to bury 35 people who died in the violence at this site. An Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum asked the Union Home Minister to consider their demands, including legalizing a burial site in Churachandpur and moving the dead bodies there.
The Supreme Court's decision is trying to help families after the violence in Manipur by giving them time to claim bodies and making sure the burials are respectful.
