Manipur HC seeks govt reply in Kuki women protest compensation case

Imphal: The Manipur High Court has directed both the Central and State Governments to file counter-affidavits in response to a petition seeking compensation for Kuki women allegedly injured during a protest in Saibol village, Kangpokpi district, last year.

The petition was filed by the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights Trust, which claimed that women protesters were injured when security forces allegedly used force during a demonstration. The protest, which occurred in 2024, was against the alleged forceful occupation of community bunkers by paramilitary personnel in the region.

The petitioners sought several reliefs, including the registration of an FIR, prosecution sanctions, an SIT investigation into the incident, and compensation for the victims. The protest was sparked by allegations of forced occupation of community bunkers by security personnel, exacerbating tensions in the region.

During the court proceedings, Advocate General for the State of Manipur argued against issuing notices to certain CRPF personnel named in the petition, warning that such actions could harm the morale of the security forces already deployed in the state. Similarly, the Central Government Counsel, representing the CRPF, requested time to seek instructions on whether to remove individual personnel from the petition, suggesting that only the official respondents be involved in the case.

Senior Advocate Anand Grover, representing the petitioners, agreed to the court’s approach of issuing appropriate orders based on these submissions.

The bench, led by Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma, deferred notices to the named CRPF personnel and allowed the official respondents to file their counter-affidavits within three weeks. Any rejoinder affidavits from the petitioners are to be filed within two weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for October 17, 2025.