SC asks NFSU to examine full audio clip ‘implicating’ former Manipur CM N Biren Singh

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed that the entire 48-minute audio recording allegedly implicating former Manipur CM N Biren Singh in the ethnic violence that took place in 2023, along with his admitted voice samples, be forwarded to the National Forensic Science University, Gandhinagar, for examination.

A bench comprising justices Sanjay Kumar and K Vinod Chandran also directed NFSU to expedite the process and submit its report to the court in a sealed cover. The development took place during the resumed hearing of a plea seeking a court-monitored investigation into the audio recordings.

Last November, NFSU had apprised the court that the audio recordings that point to the alleged role of Biren Singh in the ethnic violence were tampered with and not scientifically fit for voice comparison. Therefore, NFSU had submitted that no opinion on similarity or dissimilarity of the speakers could be offered.
The petitioner has challenged the said conclusion, alleging that Manipur Police had earlier forwarded only short, edited clips to the forensic laboratory instead of the complete recording.

Last February, the top court had sought the central FSL’s report on the tapes. President’s rule was imposed in Manipur last February, nearly two years after ethnic violence erupted in the state.