NFSL Gandhinagar Finds Audio Clips – Supreme Court told NFSL concluded four audio exhibits were modified and not fit for forensic voice comparison; case listed for further hearing on December 8, 2025.
The National Forensic Science Laboratory (NFSL), Gandhinagar, has informed the Supreme Court that the audio recordings allegedly implicating former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in the 2023 ethnic violence were tampered with and are not scientifically reliable for voice comparison.
According to a report by Live Law, the NFSL concluded that four of the submitted audio exhibits showed clear signs of modification, making it impossible to determine whether the voice in the clips matched that of the former Chief Minister.
The findings were presented before a Bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Alok Aradhe during a hearing on Monday. After reviewing the sealed cover report, the Court directed that copies of the NFSL’s final report dated October 10, 2025, be furnished to both the petitioner and the respondents. The matter has been listed for further hearing on December 8, 2025.
“Four exhibits showed signs of modification and tampering. Therefore, they conclude that the clips are altered and do not constitute the original source recording and are not scientifically fit for forensic voice comparison,” Justice Sanjay Kumar was quoted as reading from the report.
“Consequently, no opinion on similarity or dissimilarity of the speakers can be offered,” the Bench noted.
The petition was filed by the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust, seeking a court-monitored probe into the authenticity of the audio clips that allegedly link Singh to conversations about the ethnic clashes in Manipur.
Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Prashant Bhushan cited a separate forensic report by Truth Labs, which found that a 50-minute recording marked “YI” was unedited and showed a 93% probability match with the control voice sample attributed to Singh.
Justice Kumar assured Bhushan that the petitioner would receive a copy of the NFSL report for a formal response. “We will give you the report so you can respond to it,” the judge said.
When Bhushan mentioned Truth Labs’ credibility, Justice Kumar observed that NFSL is considered India’s premier forensic institution.
Representing the Union Government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the NFSL’s findings clearly established that the disputed audio files were tampered with. “The disputed recording has been tampered with also. Otherwise too, the situation in Manipur is now peaceful—let’s not meddle with that,” Mehta submitted.
Counsel for the State of Manipur added that some portions of the audio were unclear, prompting Bhushan to respond that forensic experts could enhance the recordings using advanced tools.
The Supreme Court directed that the NFSL’s final report be distributed by the Registrar and scheduled the matter for further hearing on December 8, 2025.
This case originated from petitions filed after alleged audio clips featuring N. Biren Singh surfaced online during the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence. Earlier, reports from the Guwahati Forensic Science Laboratory and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) had failed to provide a conclusive result.
In August 2025, the Supreme Court referred the case to NFSL, Gandhinagar, to determine whether the recordings were edited and if the voice in the clips matched that of the former Chief Minister.
