The Supreme court questioned why only select portions of the leaked Manipur audio allegedly containing the voice of former Chief Minister Biren Singh were earlier sent for analysis, raising concerns over the credibility of the findings.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi | January 7, 2026: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Union government to transmit the complete audio recording submitted by a Kuki rights group to the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gujarat, for fresh forensic examination, after concerns were raised that only partial clips had earlier been analysed. The recording is central to allegations that a leaked voice clip points to the involvement of former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in the ethnic violence that erupted in the state in May 2023.
A Bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kumar questioned the Centre on why the entire recording had not been sent to forensic experts earlier, noting that the authenticity and context of the clip could not be assessed through selected excerpts. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Union government, submitted that the 48-minute recording was formally received only after the last hearing in December and had not been made available to the authorities earlier despite repeated follow-ups.
Counsel for the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), Prashant Bhushan and Cheryl d’Souza, disputed this claim, telling the court that the matter had come up for hearing several times and that the Centre was aware that the transcript of the full 48-minute recording had already been placed on record along with the petition.
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Taking note of the submissions, the Bench directed KOHUR to hand over the complete audio file to the Union government and instructed the Centre to forward it without delay to the NFSU for expedited forensic analysis. The court said the forensic report should be submitted in a sealed cover.
The case traces back to a December hearing, when the court expressed unease over an affidavit indicating that only selected portions of the leaked audio had been sent for forensic testing. On the basis of those limited samples, the NFSU had reportedly opined that the clip appeared to be “tampered with,” prompting the court to seek clarity on whether the full material had ever been examined.
Mr. Bhushan told the Bench that the total audio material runs to about 56 minutes, of which 48 minutes were filed before the court. He explained that the remaining portion reveals the identity of the whistleblower and could not be disclosed due to grave concerns for the individual’s safety.
KOHUR has sought the formation of an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the contents of the audio recording and its alleged connection to the Manipur violence, which has claimed over 200 lives and displaced thousands since 2023.
