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NFSL Gujarat report reveals audio clips were edited and unfit for forensic voice comparison
New Delhi, November 4: The Supreme Court on Sunday observed that the leaked audio clips purportedly linked to former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh during the 2023 ethnic violence in the state were “tampered with,” citing findings from the National Forensic Science Laboratory (NFSL), Gujarat.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Alok Aradhe noted that the NFSL report confirmed the audio clips had been edited and were not scientifically fit for forensic voice comparison. “The audio clips exhibited signs of editing and tampering, and consequently, no opinion regarding the similarity or dissimilarity of the speakers can be offered,” the bench stated.
The court was hearing a petition filed by the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), which had sought an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the matter. The bench directed that copies of the NFSL report be provided to all concerned parties and fixed the next hearing for December 8.
Audio clips not original, says NFSL report
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing KOHUR, requested that the report be made available for review. The bench observed that the clips, as per the NFSL’s analysis, were “not original source recordings” and hence could not be relied upon for a forensic voice comparison.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, informed the bench that the final NFSL report had conclusively found the recordings tampered with. “We have shared the final conclusions of the report, which state that the disputed recordings have been tampered with. The situation in Manipur is now quite peaceful,” Mehta said.
Earlier CFSL test termed ‘misdirected’ by Supreme Court
On August 19, the apex court had expressed dissatisfaction with the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL)’s earlier examination of the recordings, calling it “misdirected.” Later, on August 25, the top court directed the NFSL, Gandhinagar, to verify if the clips were modified, edited, or tampered with in any way and to determine whether the voices matched the admitted samples.
Previously, on May 5, the Supreme Court had ordered a forensic examination of the audio clips and instructed the Manipur government to submit a fresh report on their authenticity.
Controversy amid Manipur ethnic violence
The controversy began when alleged audio clips featuring the voice of then Chief Minister N. Biren Singh surfaced online during the ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in May 2023. Singh later resigned from office on February 9, 2024, amid unrest within the state BJP and calls for a change in leadership.
Over 260 people were killed and thousands displaced during the year-long ethnic conflict that erupted following a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised in Churachandpur district to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
KOHUR, in its petition, alleged manipulation of the leaked audio recordings and claimed they implicated individuals responsible for inciting violence. However, the Supreme Court’s latest observations, based on the NFSL’s findings, have now cast serious doubt on the authenticity of the alleged evidence.