25 Unnatural Deaths in Manipur Camps: What Happened to Relief and Rehabilitation?

The Supreme Court has raised serious concerns over the deaths of internally displaced people (IDPs) living in relief camps in violence-affected Manipur. On September 17, the Court sought a detailed report after being informed about 25 unnatural deaths among people staying in camps across the state. One reported case involved a death following sexual assault.

The Court questioned why complete information had not been provided despite requests from its three-member relief and rehabilitation committee. The committee had sought details from the state government in June and again in July, but the information supplied was reportedly incomplete.

A particularly important concern is the discrepancy in investigations. The Court was told that 640 deaths had occurred in relief camps across eight districts, including 34 classified as unnatural deaths. Post-mortems were conducted in only 20 cases, while criminal cases were registered in relation to 25 deaths and prosecution had begun in four cases.

The Supreme Court also questioned compensation. It asked the Manipur government to explain why families of IDPs who died unnatural deaths reportedly received only ₹20,000–₹30,000 in some cases. The Court has sought explanations regarding post-mortems, causes of death, preventive measures and camp safety.

The controversy therefore goes beyond the number of deaths. It raises questions about camp safety, medical care, investigation, compensation and rehabilitation. The Supreme Court has directed the Chief Secretary to provide a comprehensive report, putting accountability and the conditions of displaced families under renewed scrutiny.