The move comes after the CFSL failed to authenticate the recording. The apex court has instructed NFSU to submit its report in a sealed cover before November 9.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, August 25, 2025 — The Supreme Court on Monday directed that the alleged audio tape linked to former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh be sent to the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) in Ahmedabad for examination, after the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) admitted it could not establish its authenticity.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sharma further instructed NFSU to submit its findings in a sealed cover before November 9, 2025, and listed the matter for the same date.
On the last date of hearing on August 19, the SC had criticised the CFSL for telling the court it could not authenticate the tape. The SC said it had never asked CFSL to verify the authenticity of the video, but only to conduct a voice comparison test between the tape and Singh’s admitted voice samples.
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The Supreme Court had also expressed strong displeasure at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for failing to properly analyse audio recordings allegedly featuring former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, calling the exercise “misdirected.”
The tapes, cited in a writ petition by the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), allegedly capture Singh instructing Meitei groups to loot armouries and assuring protection from arrest during the ethnic violence of May 2023, which claimed over 260 lives and displaced thousands.
KOHUR, represented by senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, has demanded a court-monitored SIT probe, citing a Truth Labs forensic report that found a 93% probability the voice belonged to Singh.
The Manipur government and the Centre, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, have dismissed the tapes as “doctored,” questioning the credibility of Truth Labs.
Victims’ Anguish
Reacting to CFSL’s failure, KOHUR chairman Benjamin Mate said the agency had played “a cruel joke” on the victims of Manipur violence.
“We’ve full faith in the Supreme Court and hope justice will finally prevail, but it’s unfortunate that CFSL wasted precious time to scuttle the course of justice,” Mate said.
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The Court has now ordered that the audio tapes be sent to NFSU in Ahmedabad, directing it to submit a voice comparison report in a sealed cover by November 9, 2025, when the case will next be heard.
With Manipur under President’s Rule since Singh’s resignation in February 2025, the Court’s insistence on an impartial forensic probe has become central to determining whether the charges against Singh hold ground—or whether the controversy will deepen further.
