Forensic report finds whistleblower audiotapes linked to ex-Manipur CM Biren Singh ‘modified and tampered’: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday (November 3, 2025) told a Kuki rights organization that a confidential report submitted by the National University of Forensic Sciences at Gandhinagar in Gujarat had concluded that audio tapes from an informant, which claimed to contain phone calls of former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh inciting ethnic conflict, were “altered, edited and tampered with”.

A bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kumar read out the report of the leading university in the courtroom while the parties waited.

Justice Kumar then told lawyers Prashant Bhushan and Cheryl D’souza, working on behalf of the Kuki Human Trust Organisation, that the audio recordings were “processed and altered” files and were not “scientifically amenable to audio comparison”.

Lawyer Bhushan responded to this information by citing the results of tests conducted on audio recordings by Truth Labs, claiming that there was “no interruption” in the recording with a 93% probability of audio.

Justice Kumar said Gandhinagar University was considered the best and there was no reason to doubt its findings. The bench ordered the report to be shared with both the petitioner and the State of Manipur, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

93% probability that the voice in the leaked audio belongs to Manipur CM: Truth Labs

Manipur is “quiet and peaceful now”, the senior legal official said. The court allowed the plaintiff to respond to the University report within two weeks. Mr Bhushan said the audio recordings were sent to the government more than a year ago “but remained uninvestigated”.

The Kuki organization had alleged that the audio recordings shared by an anonymous tipster contained phone calls made by the former Prime Minister “establishing the complicity of the top official and others in the ethnic violence in Manipur State”.

The petition requested the Supreme Court to initiate a court-monitored investigation by the Special Investigation Team into the leaked audio clips.

Both Solicitor General R. Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had initially urged the court not to take up the case and not prejudice the majesty of the State High Court.

The NGO had alleged that “the Chief Minister of Manipur was instrumental in instigating, organizing and then centrally directing large-scale murder, destruction and other forms of violence against Kuki-dominated areas in Manipur.”

“In 2023, violence broke out in Manipur due to conflict between the Meitei community and the Kuki tribe. Later, in August 2024, an audio of about 48 minutes, allegedly recorded in a closed-door meeting with the Prime Minister, was published in various newspapers. The recorded conversation prima facie shows the complicity and involvement of the State machinery in the violence against the Kuki-Zo community,” the petition said.