A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Alok Aradhe noticed that based on the NFSL's report, the audio clips exhibited indicators of enhancing and tampering and weren't scientifically match for forensic voice comparability.
“Consequently, no opinion relating to the similarity or dissimilarity of the audio system within the query and the managed clips might be supplied,” the bench stated, whereas referring to the NFSL's report.
The apex court docket was listening to a petition filed by Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Belief (KOHUR) which has sought an unbiased SIT probe into the matter.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, showing for KOHUR, stated {that a} copy of the NFSL's report be shared with the events in order that they might reply to it.
The bench directed the apex court docket registry to submit a duplicate of the report back to the counsel showing for the events and posted the matter for listening to on December 8. The bench noticed that based on the report, the audio clips don't represent the unique supply recordings and aren't scientifically match for forensic voice comparability. Bhushan referred to a separate forensic report and stated it had discovered that one of many recordings was unedited.
“We have now simply shared the ultimate conclusions in that report (of NFSL) which say that the disputed recording has been tampered with,” the bench advised Solicitor Normal Tushar Mehta who additionally appeared within the matter.
“It's now fairly peaceable there…,” Mehta stated.
On August 19, the highest court docket expressed displeasure over Central Forensic Science Laboratory's (CFSL's) train to check the audio recordings, pointing to the alleged position of the previous Manipur chief minister within the ethnic violence, calling it “misdirected”.
Whereas listening to the plea on August 25, the apex court docket referred the matter to NFSL, Gandhi Nagar, to look at the audio clips in query to find out whether or not they have been modified, edited or tampered with in any method.
It additionally requested the NFSL to find out whether or not the voice within the disputed audio clips matches the voice within the admitted audio clip, in order to present a transparent discovering that it was the identical one who was talking in all of the audio clips.
On Might 5, the apex court docket examined a forensic report on the authenticity of the leaked audio clips and requested the state authorities to file a recent report on the probe.
Singh resigned because the chief minister of Manipur on February 9, amid rumblings throughout the state BJP and rising calls for for a change in management.
The highest court docket had beforehand sought a sealed-cover forensic report from the CFSL on the authenticity of the leaked audio clips, alleging Singh's position within the ethnic violence that started in Might 2023.
On November 8 final 12 months, the apex court docket directed KOHUR to provide materials to point the authenticity of among the leaked audio clips.
Over 260 individuals have been killed and 1000's displaced because the ethnic violence broke out between the Imphal valley-based Meitei and neighbouring hills-based Kuki communities in Might 2023.
The clashes started after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March' was organised within the hill districts to protest in opposition to an order of the Manipur Excessive Court docket on the Meitei neighborhood's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) standing.
Bhushan alleged that the recorded dialog prima facie confirmed the complicity and involvement of the state equipment within the violence in opposition to the Kuki Zo neighborhood.
KOHUR's plea alleged that Singh was instrumental in “inciting, organising and thereafter centrally orchestrating the large-scale homicide, destruction and different types of violence in opposition to the Kuki-dominated areas in Manipur”.
