The Supreme Court on 3 November 2026 deferred consideration of the bail petition filed by Yumlembam Jiban Singh, one of the accused in the 2023 Manipur case involving the alleged public stripping and parading of three Kuki-Zo women. Singh’s lawyer told the Court that the trial had progressed slowly despite directions intended to accelerate the recording of evidence.
The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana. Senior Advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for Singh, referred to the Supreme Court’s order of 5 October and argued that the evidence of all three victims was yet to be completed. According to the defence, only about one and a half witnesses had been examined since directions to speed up the proceedings began in July.
“The ground reality is different.”
Farasat said the third victim had completed her examination-in-chief, but her cross-examination had not begun. He also pointed to practical difficulties that had affected earlier hearings, including the illness of an interpreter who contracted dengue. The submission was made in support of the argument that the pace of the trial should be considered while deciding Singh’s request for release on bail.
Prosecution points to consecutive hearing dates
Additional Solicitor General Raha Thakre appeared for the prosecution. He told the Bench that the trial court had fixed consecutive dates for recording evidence, referring to 13, 16, 18 and 19 October. Advocate DP Singh, also representing the prosecution, said the dates had been arranged continuously to complete the witnesses’ examination without further delay.
The Chief Justice recorded the position regarding the evidence already taken. The Court noted that one victim had been fully examined, the cross-examination of another was still in progress, and the third victim’s evidence remained incomplete. It directed the prosecution to produce the third victim before the trial court on the scheduled dates so that her testimony could be recorded. Singh’s bail petition will be listed after that process.
Case dates back to the beginning of the 2023 violence
The allegations relate to 4 May 2023, a day after ethnic violence broke out in Manipur. According to the case details placed before the Court, a mob allegedly stripped three women from the Kuki-Zo community. Singh is one of the men accused in the case and is alleged to have filmed the incident. The allegations remain subject to the judicial process; the bail hearing concerns the progress of the trial and does not determine guilt.
- Accused seeking bail: Yumlembam Jiban Singh
- Proceeding: Supreme Court hearing on 3 November 2026
- Court’s direction: The prosecution must produce the third victim so that her evidence can be completed
The proceedings underline the continuing judicial focus on completing evidence in a case arising from the wider Manipur conflict. The Supreme Court has previously issued directions aimed at preventing further delay, while the prosecution has said that consecutive trial dates were fixed for that purpose. The immediate next step recorded by the Bench is completion of the third victim’s testimony before the bail plea is taken up again.
