The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from police action to retired Colonel Vijay Chenji, who is among the authors of two books from the Kuki-Zo community accused of distorting Manipur’s history, Live Law reported.

The first book titled The Anglo-Kuki War 1917-1919 was written by Chenji, while the second book The Anglo- Kuki War, 1917-1919: A Frontier Uprising Against Imperialism During the First World War was jointly edited by Jangkhomang Guite and Thongkholal Haokip.

Two separate first information reports were filed against the author and editors of the two books on August 7 and August 9 by the Manipur Police on a complaint filed by the Federation of Haomee, a civil society organisation based in Imphal.

The police had booked Chenji, Guite and Haokip under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to waging war against the Indian government, promoting enmity between different groups and using as true a declaration known to be false. Guite and Haokip were granted protection earlier by the Supreme Court on September 6, according to The Leaflet.

Guite is an assistant professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for Historical Studies, while Haokip is an assistant professor at the university’s Centre for the Study of Law and Governance.

On Tuesday, senior advocate Anand Grover, representing Chenji, told the Supreme Court that the lawyers appearing in the case before the Manipur High Court had to withdraw after their chambers were ransacked, reported Bar and Bench.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the bench to consider the broader implications and the “pattern” of such incidents. He also requested Chief Justice DY Chandrachud to ask the secretary general of the court to inquire whether the Manipur High Court was functioning properly.

The chief justice then directed Grover to ask his client to file his concerns about finding a lawyer in an affidavit, reported PTI.

“We have to satisfy our conscience that the lawyers are not appearing,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said. “Then, we can arrange the legal aid also.”

In his plea, Chenji told the court that he was never served a copy of the FIR registered against him for the book and argued that this was a violation of his fundamental rights, according to Bar and Bench.

He also claimed that the complaint filed against him by the Federation of Haomee was aimed at harassing and persecuting him at a time when Manipur was witnessing ethnic violence.

Over 200 people have been killed since the conflict broke out between the Meiteis and the Kukis in Manipur on May 3. Nearly 60,000 persons have also been forced to flee their homes. The state has reported cases of rape and murder, and mobs have looted police armoury and set several homes on fire despite the heavy presence of central security forces.

Opposition parties have repeatedly blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre and the state government for failing to control the violence.