India

Manipur Inquiry Panel Granted Sixth Extension, Report Due May 20, 2027

By Prawesh Lama

The three‑member commission investigating the 2023 Meitei‑Kuki violence in Manipur has received a sixth extension, giving it until May 20, 2027 to submit its report, according to a Union Home Ministry notification issued on Friday. The commission, which began its work on June 4, 2023, was originally required to submit its findings within six months of its first sitting. The notification states that the report must be filed “as soon as possible but not later than the 20th May, 2027.” The panel, headed by retired Justice B.S. Chauhan, with retired IAS officer Himanshu Shekhar Das and retired IPS officer Aloka Prabhakar as members, is tasked with probing the causes and spread of the violence that began on May 3, 2023, and any lapses or dereliction of duty by authorities or individuals. The inquiry also examines the adequacy of administrative measures taken to prevent and address the riots. While the commission has yet to submit its findings on the Meitei‑Kuki clashes, Manipur has continued to experience clashes between the Naga and Kuki tribes. More than 65 people have been killed in these incidents. The most recent event occurred on Friday, when four Naga people were killed by Kuki militants in an ambush along the Imphal‑Ukhrul highway; a day earlier, a Kuki person was killed by Naga militants. The Naga‑Kuki clashes began after a drunken brawl in Litan village of Ukhrul district. The commission visited Manipur between May 29 and 31 as part of its probe. Earlier, on May 13, 2026, the commission received a six‑month extension until November 20 to submit its report.