Yumlembam Jiban Singh, one of the accused in the case arising from the alleged stripping and parading of three Kuki-Zo women during the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence, urged the Supreme Court on Tuesday, November 3, to consider granting him bail, citing the slow progress of the trial.

Source: Bar and Bench

A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was told that, despite the court's October 5 order directing that the evidence of all three victims be completed, only one victim has been fully examined so far, while the third victim's examination-in-chief is complete but her cross-examination is still pending.

Source: India Legal Live

1 of 3Victims fully examined so far, the court was told
October 5, 2026Date of the earlier Supreme Court order to complete all three victims' evidence
January 2026When a special CBI court in Guwahati framed charges against six accused

What each side told the court

Senior Advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for Singh, said that despite two or three orders since July directing expedition, only about one and a half witnesses had been examined. 'The trial is not proceeding. That's the challenge,' he submitted, and pointed to earlier hearings that made little progress, including difficulties such as an interpreter contracting dengue.

Source: Bar and Bench

Additional Solicitor General Raha Thakre, appearing for the prosecution, said the trial court had fixed consecutive dates — October 13, 16, 18 and 19 — for recording evidence, and that the remaining cross-examination would be taken up on those scheduled dates. Advocate DP Singh, also for the prosecution, said continuous dates had been given this time to complete the examination of witnesses.

Source: Bar and Bench

Court's direction and what happens next

The Bench recorded that only one victim had been fully examined while another's cross-examination was still underway, and directed the prosecution to produce the third victim before the trial court during the scheduled dates so her evidence can be recorded. Singh's bail plea was directed to be listed thereafter.

Source: India Legal Live

The allegations in the case relate to an incident on May 4, 2023, in Thoubal district during the Manipur ethnic violence, when a mob allegedly stripped and paraded three Kuki-Zo women; two of the women were allegedly gang-raped, and the father and brother of one victim were allegedly killed. The charges are allegations being tried in court, and no verdict has been delivered in this trial. The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance after a video surfaced in July 2023, transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and shifted the trial to Guwahati.

Source: Bar and Bench

Singh is accused of recording the video and sharing it with other accused persons, leading to its circulation; he was arrested on July 20, 2023. A special CBI court in Guwahati framed charges against six accused, including Singh, in January 2026, including murder, rape, gang rape and offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, according to the reports.