Security personnel fire tear gas shells to disperse protesters near the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), in Imphal. (PTI Photo)The Supreme Court, which is monitoring the progress of the cases registered in connection with the 2023 ethnic riots in Manipur, on Monday asked the Gauhati High Court Chief Justice to consider establishing two special courts in order to fastrack trials of cases probed by the NIA and CBI.A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana also asked the Justice Gita Mittal Committee to verify claims that nearly 24,000 affected families are yet to get benefits under government schemes. The top court had ordered setting up of a committee to be headed by Justice (retd) Gita Mittal to oversee relief and rehabilitation of victims and compensation to them.After perusing the status of cases, the bench noted that of a total of 904 witnesses in CBI cases, 891 remain to be examined. It ordered, “Having regard to the total number of witnesses proposed to be examined, we request the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court to consider the feasibility of allowing the CBI/NIA court to exclusively deal with Manipur-related cases.”Also Read | Expert Explains | The long, fractured history of Manipur, and the road aheadThe bench asked the HC Chief Justice to consider setting up of two separate exclusive courts, one for dealing with the CBI cases and another for NIA cases arising out of the Manipur violence, and sought a status report from the High Court Registrar General before the next date of hearing.Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, submitted the status report and said that the CBI is investigating 31 cases and final reports were filed in 27 of them. The agency has also filed closure reports in five cases, she said, adding the chargesheets had been filed in 22 cases and cognisance already taken in 20 of them.Bhati said that only one case was triable by a magistrate, and the rest were triable by Sessions Courts. She pointed out that the CBI cases had been transferred to Gauhati. The ASG said that NIA had investigated 30 cases, chargesheets had been filed in 15 of them and charges framed in them while investigation is underway in the rest.In August 2023, the top court had appointed former Mumbai Police Commissioner Dattatray Padsalgikar to “overall monitor” the CBI probe into instances of sexual violence during the ethnic clashes.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Drug routes, tribal corridors, political faultlines: Inside Manipur’s new Naga-Kuki conflictIn a status report submitted to the court Monday, Padsalgikar highlighted how agencies worked instances of road blockades, attacks on security forces, damage to public infrastructure etc in the state. The bench directed that “irrespective of the sensitive law and order situation, the CBI and NIA shall continue with their ongoing investigation”.