Supreme Court Extends Justice Gita Mittal Committee's Tenure for Manipur Relief

The Supreme Court has extended the tenure of the Justice Gita Mittal committee overseeing the relief and rehabilitation of ethnic violence victims in Manipur by six months. The committee, established last year, consists of three former women high court judges and reports directly to the top court.

The Supreme Court on Monday extended by six months the tenure of the Justice Gita Mittal committee set up to oversee relief and rehabilitation of the victims of ethnic violence in Manipur.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra extended the term of the panel after it was informed that its tenure ended on July 15.

'The committee chaired by Justice Gita Mittal stands extended by six months,' the bench stated.

Last August, the bench had ordered the formation of the panel consisting of three former women high court judges to manage relief, rehabilitation, and compensation efforts. Former Maharashtra police chief Dattatray Padsalgikar was appointed to monitor the investigation of criminal cases.

The committee, headed by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal, includes Justices (retd) Shalini P Joshi, a former judge of the Bombay High Court, and Asha Menon, an ex-judge of the Delhi High Court. The apanel was formed following a 'deeply disturbing' video showing women being paraded naked in the region, prompting immediate judicial intervention.

More than 200 individuals have been killed, hundreds injured, and thousands displaced since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, following the 'Tribal Solidarity March' against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

(With inputs from agencies.)