AMN / IMPHAL
In major decisions the Manipur High Court today modified its 2023 order in which it recommended the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meiteis community. The ruling led to widespread protests in Manipur and sparked ethnic clashes, which killed more than 200 people since May 3 last year. The High Court has now deleted the paragraph from its March 27 judgment and said that the ruling was passed in “misconception of law.”
“Accordingly, the direction given at Para No. 17(iii) needs to be deleted and is ordered accordingly for deletion,” a bench of Justice Golmei Gaiphulshillu said in an order as per Bar and Bench.
The now-deleted paragraph of the March 27 order stated, “The first respondent shall consider the case of the petitioners for inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list, expeditiously, preferably within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order in terms of the averments set out in the writ petition and in the line of the order passed in W.P.(C) No. 4281 of 2002 dated 26.05.2003 by the Gauhati High Court.”
The judgment was passed by then-acting Chief Justice of Manipur High Court MV Muralidaran. The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the issue and Justice MV Muralidaran was subsequently transferred to Calcutta High Court.
‘Against SC’s observations’: Manipur High Court
On Thursday, the Manipur High Court held that the above paragraph was against the observations made in the constitution bench of the Supreme Court in a case concerning Scheduled Tribe classifications.
“…I am satisfied and of the view that the direction given at Para no. 17(iii) of the single judge dated March 27, 2023…which is impugned herein needs to be reviewed, as the direction given at Para no. 17(iii) of the single judge is against the observation made in the constitution bench of the Supreme Court,” the high court said in its 19-page verdict.