Supreme Court Orders Protection of Religious Sites Damaged in Manipur Violence

NEW DELHI, August 3, 2026: The Supreme Court has directed that sites where lawful religious structures once stood in violence-hit Manipur must be protected from encroachment, as it continued its oversight of relief, rehabilitation and property-related issues arising from the ethnic conflict.

The direction was issued while the court considered a status report and video evidence submitted by the committee headed by former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Justice Gita Mittal, which was appointed to monitor relief and rehabilitation measures for victims of the violence.

During the July 24 hearing, the Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said that where a lawful religious structure had existed, the site should not be encroached upon. The direction comes amid continuing concerns over religious properties damaged or destroyed during the violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023.

The court’s intervention is particularly significant for churches and other places of worship whose buildings were damaged or destroyed during the conflict. In earlier proceedings, the Supreme Court had directed the Manipur government to identify religious structures of all denominations that had been damaged or destroyed and to take steps to secure places of public worship. The court had also authorised the committee to consider issues relating to illegal encroachment or occupation of such sites.

During the latest proceedings, a lawyer representing a Christian church group told the court that several churches had been looted and that title deeds and other documents establishing ownership had been destroyed. Some former church premises were also allegedly being used for other purposes, including as gyms.

The loss of property records has complicated efforts by church bodies to establish ownership and seek restoration of their properties. The Supreme Court has allowed affected church organisations to place details of alleged encroachments before the Justice Gita Mittal Committee for verification and appropriate recommendations.

The issue is part of the wider destruction of religious and residential properties during the Manipur conflict. Earlier proceedings before the Supreme Court had recorded concerns over damage to religious buildings, including churches and temples, and the need to protect their sites from further encroachment.

The Justice Gita Mittal Committee has continued to receive representations concerning compensation for damaged properties and religious buildings, rehabilitation and alleged encroachment of land and properties. A Supreme Court status report in May recorded these among the principal issues raised before the committee.

The Supreme Court has extended the committee’s tenure until March 31, 2027, allowing it to continue monitoring relief, rehabilitation, compensation and related property issues.

The court’s latest direction reinforces the principle that destruction of a religious building during conflict does not, by itself, extinguish the legal status or ownership rights associated with the site. For churches and other places of worship affected by the violence, protection of the land is an important step towards possible restoration and rehabilitation.

The matter is scheduled to come up again before the Supreme Court on August 10, along with other petitions concerning the situation in Manipur.

Courtesy The Wire