Centre again extends tenure of panel probing Manipur violence

New Delhi: The Centre has given yet another extension -- till November 20, 2025 -- to a commission of inquiry for submitting its report on the investigation into the series of violence in Manipur that began in May 2023 and claimed at least 260 lives.

The commission of inquiry, headed by former chief justice of the Gauhati High Court Ajai Lamba, was formed on June 4, 2023.

The panel, also comprising retired IAS officer Himanshu Shekhar Das and retired IPS officer Aloka Prabhakar, was mandated to probe the causes and spread of the violence and riots targeting members of different communities, which broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023.

The commission was supposed to submit its report to the Central government “as soon as possible but not later than six months from the date of its first sitting”, the notification issued on June 4, 2023, said.

The panel has been extended twice since then. In its last extension, the Ministry of Home Affairs gave the commission time till May 20, 2025, to submit its report.

“The commission shall submit its report to the Central government as soon as possible but not later than November 20, 2025,” the MHA said in the latest notification.

According to the terms of reference of the commission, it would probe the sequence of events leading to, and all the facts relating to such violence; whether there were any lapses or dereliction of duty in this regard on the part of any of the responsible authorities/individuals and adequacy of the administrative measures taken to prevent, and to deal with the violence and riots.

The inquiry shall look into the complaints or allegations that may be made before it by any individual or association, the MHA said.

According to the June 4, 2023, notification of the home ministry, large-scale violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, which claimed the lives of many residents of the state besides injuring several others.

People’s houses and properties were burnt down as a result of the arson, rendering many of them homeless, it said.

The notification said the Manipur government on May 29, 2023, recommended the constitution of a judicial commission to look into the causes and associated factors of the crisis, and the unfortunate incidents that took place on May 3, 2023, and afterwards under the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. Based on the recommendation of the Manipur government, the Centre was of the opinion that it was necessary to appoint a commission of inquiry for the purpose of making an inquiry into a definite matter of public importance, namely, incidents of violence in Manipur, the notification said.