The Union home ministry on Thursday appointed justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, former justice in the Supreme Court, as chairperson of the three-member Commission of Inquiry (CoI) formed on June 4, 2023, to investigate the ethnic violence in Manipur. Chauhan will take charge on March 1, as the chairperson, according to a government notification, which said that the government accepted the resignation of the current chairperson, justice Ajai Lamba (retired).
In November last year, the CoI was given time until May 20, 2026 to submit its report – the fifth such extension given to the Commission. The previous deadline was November 20, 2025. The Inquiry Commission has two offices: one in Imphal, Manipur and another in New Delhi.
A person aware of the matter said that retired justice Lamba resigned due to personal reasons. “The Inquiry is at a crucial juncture, where physical evidence and statements will be recorded in New Delhi. This will involve the presence of all committee members at the New Delhi office everyday. Due to some personal issues related to logistics and travel, which had nothing to do with the Inquiry, the retired judge resigned from the inquiry. The resignation has been accepted.”
The Union home ministry notification stated: “In continuation of the notification number S.O. 2424 (E) dated 4th June, 2023 of the Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs), which has subsequently been amended through notification(s) dated 13th September, 2024; 3rd December, 2024; 20th May, 2025 and 16th December, 2025, and consequent upon the acceptance of resignation of Honourable Justice Ajai Lamba, former Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court from the post of the Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry appointed for the purpose of making an inquiry into a definite matter of public importance, namely, incidents of violence in Manipur, w.e.f. 28.02.2026, the Central Government hereby appoints Honourable Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, former Justice in the Supreme Court of India, w.e.f. 01.03.2026, as Chairperson of the said Commission in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section 3 of section (3) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 (60 of 1952).”
{{/usCountry}}The Union home ministry notification stated: “In continuation of the notification number S.O. 2424 (E) dated 4th June, 2023 of the Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs), which has subsequently been amended through notification(s) dated 13th September, 2024; 3rd December, 2024; 20th May, 2025 and 16th December, 2025, and consequent upon the acceptance of resignation of Honourable Justice Ajai Lamba, former Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court from the post of the Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry appointed for the purpose of making an inquiry into a definite matter of public importance, namely, incidents of violence in Manipur, w.e.f. 28.02.2026, the Central Government hereby appoints Honourable Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, former Justice in the Supreme Court of India, w.e.f. 01.03.2026, as Chairperson of the said Commission in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section 3 of section (3) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 (60 of 1952).”
{{/usCountry}}The CoI, earlier headed by former Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court Ajai Lamba, was set up on June 3, 2023. The panel, also comprising retired IAS officer Himanshu Shekhar Das and retired IPS officer Aloka Prabhakar, is mandated to probe into the causes and spread of the violence and riots targeting members of different communities, which started on May 3, 2023.
The commission was supposed to submit its report to the central government “as soon as possible but not later than six months from the date of its first sitting (June 4, 2023)”.
According to a government notification, the CoI will probe the sequence of events leading to the violence, all facts relating to it, any lapses or dereliction of duty by responsible authorities or individuals, and the adequacy of administrative measures taken to prevent and deal with the violence and riots.