July 29, 2025, Imphal – The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been given a final one-month extension by the Manipur High Court to submit the full chargesheet in the Jiribam killings case. The court issued a warning, saying that any additional delays will be taken very seriously.
Background of the Jiribam killings case
On November 11, 2024, six individuals from the Meitei community – three women and three children, including a 10 month old infant, were abducted from Borobekra in Jiribam district. Their bullet-riddled bodies were recovered days later from the Barak River near the Manipur-Assam border.
Despite prompt filing of an FIR and transfer of the case to the NIA, no chargesheet has been filed even eight months later, prompting alarm from the court about the lack of progress.
Court Hearing & Legal Proceedings
The urgency surfaced during a hearing of PIL No. 18 of 2024, accompanied by Misc. Case No. 28 of 2025, filed by Soram Tikendrajit and others. A division bench led by Chief Justice K. Somasekhar and Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh expressed concern over the absence of any investigative milestones- specifically, a progress report under Section 167 CrPC or a formal chargesheet.
While the NIA presented two sealed cover reports, the bench ordered them placed with the registrar until the next hearing. Deputy Solicitor General Kh. Samarjit described the investigation as being in its final phase, with preparations underway under relevant legal frameworks like the CrPC and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
Significance & Public Reaction on Jiribam killings case
The court’s stern tone reflects growing civil society pressure and community anxiety over unresolved justice in a region still grappling with ethnic tension. The Jiribam incident is regarded as one of the most appalling crimes during the broader 2023–2025 Manipur violence, which claimed over 250 lives and displaced tens of thousands.
Victims’ families and organisations like Uripok Apunba Lup have repeatedly demanded transparency and swift judicial intervention, expressing concern over both procedural delay and the emotional toll of prolonged uncertainty