In a significant development aimed at accelerating justice in the ongoing ethnic violence cases in Manipur, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has designated the District and Sessions Court in Churachandpur as a Special Court for the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The move comes amid heightened national attention on the law and order situation in the northeastern state.
The decision, announced via official notification on Thursday, empowers the Churachandpur court to exclusively handle trials related to scheduled offences being investigated by the NIA under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 11 of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 (34 of 2008), the Central Government, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur, hereby designates the Court of District and Sessions Judge, Churachandpur District, as the Special Court for the trial of scheduled offences investigated by the NIA,” the notification reads.
The jurisdiction of the newly designated special NIA Court will extend throughout the entire state of Manipur.
The decision to empower a dedicated court comes as the NIA has taken over three major cases linked to the ethnic clashes that erupted on May 3, 2023. These cases include the abduction and murder of six women and children in Jiribam, along with a series of other violent incidents that underscore the escalating instability in the region.
The central government handed these cases to the NIA in November 2024, citing their grave nature and national security implications. The MHA’s intervention was deemed necessary as the violence persisted and the local investigative capacity was increasingly overwhelmed.
Manipur has been gripped by months of ethnic unrest since May 3, 2023. The violence was triggered by a contentious recommendation from the Manipur High Court suggesting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meitei community. This sparked widespread protests from the Kuki-Zo tribal groups residing in the hill districts, who viewed the move as a threat to their land rights and socio-political identity.
The protests quickly spiraled into full-blown ethnic violence, resulting in numerous deaths, displacements and large-scale destruction of property. The state witnessed repeated internet shutdowns, curfews and deployment of central security forces to contain the unrest.
Legal experts say the establishment of a dedicated NIA court in Churachandpur is a critical step toward restoring public trust and ensuring speedy and focused trials. By centralising jurisdiction for sensitive NIA-investigated cases, the government aims to bypass procedural delays and ensure justice is delivered without undue influence or local interference.
This move also signals the Centre’s continued engagement in managing the volatile situation in Manipur, while underlining the seriousness with which the Union Government views the ethnic conflict.
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