Justice N Kotiswar excluded from CCpur visit
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 22 2025: Justice N Kotiswar Singh, the only Meetei judge in the Supreme Court, was notably absent from Saturday's visit of Supreme Court judges to Churachandpur.

A report by Hindustan Times said that a revised schedule received by the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MASLSA) on Wednesday evening did not include Justice Kotiswar's name in the list of judges visiting the relief camps in the Kuki-majority district.

The exclusion followed a statement issued by the Churachandpur District Bar Association (CDBA), which stated, "Lordships belonging to the Meetei community, in the interest of peace and public order, shall not step into our district, even though their names appear in the programme" .

This statement is believed to have influenced the decision to drop Justice Kotiswar's name from the itinerary.

Despite this, Justice Kotiswar was reportedly eager to visit Churachandpur and engage directly with the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the district.

According to a person familiar with the situation, Justice Kotiswar expressed a strong desire to meet the displaced individuals in person, even though virtual interaction was suggested as an alternative.

"He insisted on speaking to them directly.

The judges' itinerary underwent several revisions before it was ultimately determined he could not travel to Churachandpur," the source was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Comment