New Delhi: The Supreme Court today asked the Union government why the forensic report to authenticate the audio tape purportedly of former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh has not been submitted even after three months have passed since the court had asked for it. Hearing the matter, the apex court bench comprising Justices P.V. Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sarma posed that question to the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta after he told the court that the tapes submitted to the Centre for Forensic Science Laboratory were not ready and sought two more weeks’ time. “What happened to the forensic report? That should have come at least. This order was passed in May 2025. Three months have passed. By now, the forensic report laboratory must have given you a report. At least tell us whether the report has come or it is still in the pipeline,” the bench asked Mehta. As Mehta responded that it had not come yet, Justice Kumar asked, “How long does it take CFSL to give a definite report on the analysis of the voice? We will pass it over. This can’t go on endlessly,” Live Law reported.In the last hearing this past May 5, the bench comprising the then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Kumar had told Mehta that there is no need to protect any person if they are found to have been involved in wrongdoing in relation to the Kuki-Meitei ethnic violence in the north-eastern border state. That remark of the court had come after Mehta had questioned the credibility of the petitioner, the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR).KOHUR had petitioned the apex court to probe the audio tapes, in which a voice sounding like N. Biren Singh could be heard claiming to be behind the breakout of ethnic violence which has caused the death of at least 250 people and injured many, while also displacing over 50,000 people from both communities, most of whom are still taking shelter in various relief camps across the state. This February, the Union government clamped President’s Rule in the state for six months and has extended it by another six months this month. Biren Singh’s office had claimed then that the audio tapes were not authentic and threatened action against media organisations and others using them.However, acting on the KOHUR petition, the Supreme Court, in November 2024, had agreed to examine the tapes. The bench led by then CJI D.Y. Chandrachud asked the petitioner to authenticate it.Prior to it, in September 2024, in public interest, The Wire had published those tapes after they were accepted by the judicial commission on the Manipur violence set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs.The petitioner had then approached a highly reputed private lab, the Truth Lab, for its authentication which had stated that there was a “93%” similarity between the voice in the tapes and Biren Singh’s voice as heard in authentic voice samples submitted to it for examination.However, appearing for the government, solicitor general Mehta sought to submit a report by a government-owned lab which was allowed. However, in April, the government sought additional time as the SG was unavailable that day to submit the report. Mehta was busy in another court in the Waqf (Amendment) Act hearing.While Mehta today told the top court that the report was not ready, the counsel who had appeared for the government on April 17 in the absence of the solicitor general had told the court that the report was ready.Appearing in the case in May, Mehta submitted a sealed cover to the bench, stating, “Let the investigation go on, rather than escalating the situation any further. We have the sealed cover FSL report, high court can also examine it. Peace is prevailing.”However, after reading the report, the court had said, “Mr. Mehta, you have to talk to the offices, please talk to the offices… What is this FSL report?”In reply, Mehta had said that he had not examined the report’s contents. After that, then CJI Sanjiv Khanna had responded: “Read the content and then talk to the offices, please examine and bring a fresh report.”The bench then asked the government to submit a fresh FSL report and resist the case on the week commencing July 21.However, today, standing in front of the bench, now comprising Justice Kumar and Justice Sarma, Mehta submitted that the report is not ready and sought more time. The court has granted the time sought by the government and asked the case to be listed for August 19.KOHUR chairman H.S. Benjamin Mate told The Wire, “It has been over two years since the Kuki-Zo community endured unprecedented violence, resulting in significant loss of life, property and displacement. Notwithstanding the existence of prima facie evidence implicating the then chief minister Biren Singh in acts of ethnic cleansing against the community, he remains unprotected by the honourable court. In light of the maxim ‘justice delayed is justice denied,’ we implore the honourable court to accord utmost priority and expediency to the matter.” He said the court’s intervention “was instrumental in halting the ethnic cleansing against the minority community.” “We have sought a thorough investigation into the alleged complicity of the government in the ethnic cleansing monitored by the honourable court. The audio tape is a crucial piece of evidence in ensuring the Kuki-Zo community received the procedural justice they are entitled to as rightful citizens of this nation,” he added.