Image Source: Agencies

The Supreme Court on Friday transferred to Assam the judgments of 27 cases of sexual violence related to the ethnic conflict of Manipur, which is being investigated by the CBI.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud asked the chief justice of the Gauhati High Court to appoint one or more judges and a sessions judge in Guwahati to handle the 27 cases investigated by the CBI.
Victims and witnesses in these cases can testify virtually via video conference from Manipur instead of traveling to Assam to be physically present in the court in Guwahati.
The order came after Attorney General Tushar Mehta, acting on behalf of the Manipur government, suggested that trials of CBI cases be transferred to Assam due to security concerns there and some suspicions that Manipur judges belong to certain communities.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves opposed the transfer of CBI cases to Assam and suggested that these cases should be transferred to Mizoram instead. As Gonsalves said that the trials should be held in the hills, the CJI said, "There were victims in the valleys and hills. It would be difficult for people who suffered in the valleys to travel to the hills and vice versa. It is not; .. . who suffered more ... only practical difficulties," the CJI said.
The court asked the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court to appoint one or more Chief Justices/Sessions Judges in Guwahati who know one or more Manipuri languages.