The Supreme Court on Monday (January 7, 2026) asked the Union government to forward to the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Gujarat the entire audio clip submitted by a Kuki rights organisation who has alleged that the leaked voice recording points to the role played by former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in the 2023 ethnic violence.
A Bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kumar questioned the government, represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, about the reason for not sending the audio clip in its entirety.
Ms. Bhati said the government had received the 48-minute recording only after the last apex court hearing in December. The law officer said the clip had not been forthcoming despite enquiries for it.
Advocates Prashant Bhushan and Cheryl d’Souza, for Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), said this case was listed at least 10 times in the past, and the government had known that the transcript of the entire 48-minute recording was placed on record before the apex court along with the petition.
The Bench asked the petitioner to forward the entire recording to the government, and told the government to forward it to the NFSU for expedite action and submission of report in a sealed cover.
In December, during the last hearing, the Bench was visibly “disturbed” by an affidavit filed on behalf of the petitioner in November that “only select clippings were sent” for forensics. The NFSU had virtually given a clean chit, saying the leaked audio clip was “tampered with”.
Mr. Advocate Bhushan had said that probably the full audio clips filed by them were not sent to NFSU. He had briefed the court that the total audio tapes were of roughly 56 minutes and the petitioners had filed 48 minutes in the court. He said the remaining part of the audio clip identified the whistleblower. Parting with that portion would endanger his life.
KOHUR has sought an independent SIT probe into the contents of the audio clip.
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