Rule of Law Must Prevail Appeals CoTU Over Biren’s Leaked Audio Tapes

Article 19 of the Constitution of India guarantees freedom of expression and the public’s right to information. In this spirit, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills, has sounded an alarm over leaked audio recordings that allegedly implicate former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in fueling ethnic violence in Manipur.

According to CoTU, multiple audio tapes feature incendiary and communal remarks by Biren Singh targeting tribal communities. The recordings, reportedly verified by Truth Labs Forensic Science Services with a 93% probability of authenticity, have been linked to the ethnic conflict that erupted in May 2023.

“These revelations cannot be brushed aside. This cannot go on endlessly,” CoTU declared in its communiqué, urging urgent state and central accountability.
The disclosures come a day before the Supreme Court is set to hear Writ Petition (Civil) No. 702/2024, filed by the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights (KOHR). Listed in Court No. 13 on August 25, the petition demands:

• State accountability for the violence against tribal communities.
• Justice for victims and survivors.
• An independent probe into alleged state-sponsored atrocities in Manipur.

Even after two years of unrest, key questions remain unanswered

• What became of the CFSL report, ordered in May 2025, to authenticate the leaked recordings?
• Why has there been no official update on the KOHR petition?
• How long must tribal communities continue to endure violence without justice and recognition of their rights?

Reiterating its stand, CoTU appealed to all democratic institutions

“The people of Manipur — especially its tribal communities — demand answers, accountability, and above all, justice. We call upon the judiciary, media, civil society, and all democratic forces to rise in solidarity and uphold the rule of law.”

With the Supreme Court poised to hear the case tomorrow, the nation’s attention now turns to whether justice will prevail in Manipur’s long and painful struggle for peace.