The Supreme Court has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) regarding its investigation into audio recordings allegedly implicating former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in connection with ethnic violence in the state. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sharma stated that the CFSL's efforts were "misdirected" because they focused on verifying the authenticity of the audio clips instead of comparing the voice in the clips with Biren Singh's known voice samples, as the court had instructed.

The court clarified that it was not seeking to establish the authenticity of the video or audio but rather to determine if the voice in the recordings matched the admitted voice of the individual. The judges criticized the CFSL's approach, describing the responses received as "wishy-washy" and indicating that the laboratory was under the impression that the court wanted to verify the video's authenticity.

The case revolves around audio recordings that allegedly capture Singh instructing Meitei groups to loot state armories and instigating violence against the Kuki Zo community. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), described the content of the recordings as "very serious" and "disturbing," alleging state complicity in orchestrating the violence. Bhushan has been advocating for an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, arguing that the CFSL operates under the same government to which Singh belonged. The bench countered this argument by stating that the court could not suspect the bonafides of every organization based on administrative control and suggested that they would have to bring in an organization from abroad.

The Supreme Court also rejected an application filed by Singh's daughter to be added as a party to the case, stating, "This is not a family support program".

The matter is scheduled for further hearing on August 25, as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was unavailable due to other court commitments. Previously, on May 5, a bench led by then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna reviewed a forensic report on the leaked audio and instructed the Manipur government to submit a fresh report. The court had requested a sealed-cover submission from CFSL regarding the allegations.

The initial hearing on the matter occurred on November 8, 2024, when a three-judge bench, headed by then Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, raised concerns about the authenticity of the tapes and directed the Kuki outfit to provide evidence substantiating their authenticity. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court in February that the tape had been sent to CFSL in November 2024. Subsequently, a bench led by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna directed that the report be submitted in a sealed cover.

CFSL's contradictory submissions, initially seeking time for analysis and now claiming it cannot authenticate the alleged Biren Singh tape, have raised concerns. The Union Government has consistently dismissed the allegations as "fabricated" and politically motivated.