The Supreme Court on Monday directed that the audio clips allegedly linking former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh to the ethnic violence in the state be sent for a fresh forensic examination to the National Forensic Science University laboratory in Gandhinagar to verify their authenticity, Live Law reported.

The court noted that an earlier report by the Guwahati Forensic Sciences Laboratory had not provided a clear finding on whether the voice matched that of Singh.

The bench of Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and Aravind Kumar was hearing a petition filed by the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust, which has demanded an independent investigation into the audio clips purportedly featuring Singh’s voice.

In the recordings, a voice purported to be that of Singh is heard taking credit for “how and why the conflict started” bragging that he had defied Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s order against the use of “bombs” in the conflict and shielding individuals who snatched thousands of weapons from the state police armouries from arrest.

At least 260 persons have been killed and more than 59,000 persons displaced since the ethnic clashes broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities in May 2023. There were periodic upticks in violence in 2024.

President’s Rule was imposed in February after Singh resigned.

On Monday, the court said that a fresh examination by the Gandhinagar laboratory would help clarify two aspects: whether the audio clips were modified, edited or tampered with in any manner, and whether the voice in the disputed clips matched the admitted audio sample with a clear finding on whether the same person is speaking in all the recordings.

The Supreme Court also directed the authorities to forward the audio clips, the admitted sample and the questions to the Gandhinagar laboratory within a week, Live Law reported.

The laboratory has been asked to submit its report directly to the court in a sealed cover within six weeks.

The matter will be heard next on November 3.