Manipur-Moreh Violence| HC Seeks State Govt's Affidavit In 2 Weeks On Failure To Ensure Protection Of Houses Burnt, Properties Looted

The Manipur High Court has granted two weeks to the state government to file a detailed affidavit regarding the lapses on the part of the security forces about their failure to ensure the protection and safeguarding of those houses and properties during the violence in State's Moreh town.

The bench of Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh and Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma has also sought details regarding the steps taken by the State Government regarding burning down the houses and looting the properties of the displaced people in Moreh town.

The Court passed the order in a pending Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea filed by Congress leader K. Devabrata Singh seeking to 'safeguard' houses and properties of people of Meitei, Tamil and other minor communities claiming that they have been evacuated from Moreh Town due to the recent ethnic clashes in the state.

Last week, Petitioner-Singh filed an additional affidavit before the Manipur High Court stating that the State Government is trying to escape its responsibility to protect the lives & properties of victims in the violence-hit Moreh town of the state.

In his additional affidavit, he also claimed that many untoward incidents of burning of properties, lootings, and harassment are continuously happening in the Moreh town, however, the Union and State security personnel are trying to divert from the issue of protecting properties and lives of civilians belonging to a particular community.

Before the Court, it was strongly argued by Senior Advocate Sapam Biswajit Meitei assisted by Advocate Naorem Prista Devi that despite the passing of the two interim orders by the Court (on May 15 and June 2) directing the respondents to provide adequate security at the Moreh for safeguarding the abandoned houses and properties of the displaced people, there has been two instances of burning down of about twenty empty houses and looting of properties belonging to the displaced people.

It was also submitted before the HC that there has been total failure and lapses on the part of the security forces stationed at Moreh to safeguard the properties of the displaced people despite the order passed by this Court.

It was lastly submitted that in the affidavit filed by the State authorities and the Central Government, nothing has been explained about the lapses on the part of the security forces in safeguarding the houses and properties of the displaced people.

Taking into account the submissions made by the petitioner's counsel, the Court has sought a detailed affidavit from the state. The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 31.

Case title - Khumanthem Devabrata Singh vs. State of Manipur & 5 Ors. [PIL No. 23 of 2023]

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