SC questions delayed FSL report on Biren tapes
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 04 2025: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Union government over the delay in submitting a fresh forensic report on audio clips allegedly implicating former chief minister N Biren in the state's ethnic violence, noting that three months had passed since it ordered for the report.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sharma was hearing a petition by the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust, which is seeking a court-monitored investigation into the leaked recordings, allegedly in Biren's voice.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, told the bench it had been a year since the tapes surfaced.

The court had first examined the matter in April, when a bench led by then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Kumar expressed dissatisfaction with a report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and ordered a fresh analysis.

The order for the new report was passed in May 2025.On Monday, Justice Kumar said at the outset, "We asked for the fresh forensic report." When a counsel representing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought two more weeks, the judge pressed further: "What happened to the forensic report? By now, the laboratory must have given you a report.

At least tell'us whether it has come or is still in the pipeline" .

Upon learning the report had not been submitted, Justice Kumar questioned the prolonged delay, asking, "How long does it take FSL to give a definite report on the analysis of the voice? This can't go endlessly" .

The matter was passed oVer to await the Solicitor General's appearance, but not taken up again during the day.

In February, the Supreme Court directed CFSL to analyse the tapes.

The petitioner's counsel had said that Truth Labs, a private forensic service, had already certified the recordings as authentic.

Earlier, a bench headed by then Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had directed the petitioner to furnish material verifying the tapes, leading to the Truth Labs submission.

President's Rule was imposed in the state in February 2025, nearly two years after ethnic clashes began.

Biren resigned days before the proclamation, amid mounting political pressure.

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