Kuki rights body alleges Manipur Police sent ‘truncated’ audio for forensic tests
Seeks court-monitored probe into ‘Manipur tapes’
New Delhi: The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights (KOHUR) has reiterated its demand for a court-monitored investigation into the alleged “Manipur tapes”, claiming that the Manipur Police submitted only heavily-edited portions of the controversial audio for forensic analysis instead of the full 48-minute-46-second recording. The allegation has been made in an affidavit sworn on November 20, The Wire reported.
KOHUR told the Supreme Court that the shortened clips sent to forensic laboratories — four files of 30 seconds, 36 seconds, 1 minute 28 seconds and 1 minute 47 seconds — amounted to “selective transmission of material”, raising concerns about the fairness and intent of the state police. The organisation argued that withholding the full recording prevented experts from verifying its authenticity, resulting in inconclusive forensic findings.
The case relates to audio clips purportedly featuring Manipur chief minister Biren Singh, in which he allegedly discusses matters linked to the state’s ethnic violence of 2023, including “looting of arms”, the “use of bombs”, and instructions to the police.
According to KOHUR, despite the Supreme Court expressing dissatisfaction with a May 5, 2025 report by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) — after which the court ordered a fresh examination — neither the CFSL nor the National Forensic Science University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, could conclusively confirm whether the voice in the clips matched that of the chief minister. The NFSU reportedly found signs of editing and manipulation and declared the files unsuitable for reliable comparison.
KOHUR has contrasted these findings with a separate analysis conducted by Truth Labs, a private forensic agency that examined the complete 48-minute recording along with several voice samples available publicly. Truth Labs reportedly concluded that there was a 93% probability of the voice being that of Biren Singh.
The rights group has alleged that the inconclusive results from government forensic agencies were a direct consequence of the Manipur Police providing only edited and partial material. It argued that this should not prevent the police from setting a criminal investigation in motion.
“The lack of firm forensic conclusions cannot, by itself, be treated as a ground to stifle investigation at the threshold,” KOHUR said, urging the Supreme Court to appoint a court-monitored special investigation team. It added that an FIR must be registered based on the full audio and the Truth Labs report so that “the truth may emerge through a fair, independent and comprehensive investigation.”
The matter is pending before the Supreme Court.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
