On February 3, 2025, the Supreme Court directed the submission of a sealed report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory on audio tapes allegedly implicating Manipur CM Biren Singh in the state's ethnic violence.The case will now be heard on March 24, 2025.

The bench led by CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar ordered an independent probe into the audio tapes in a writ petition by the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust.

The Manipur violence began on May 3, 2023, triggered by ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities. This led to hundreds of deaths, large-scale violence, arson, and displacement of thousands of people.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, cited a Truth Labs report confirming with 93% certainty that the voice in leaked audio tapes belongs to CM Biren Singh. In the tapes, Singh allegedly admitted to allowing Meitei groups to loot the State armoury and protecting them from arrest. Bhushan argued that the recordings, made during a closed-door meeting, reveal the CM’s role in instigating and abetting ethnic violence, calling it a serious issue.