New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today, June 1, announced that a committee headed by a retired high court judge of Chief Justice rank will investigate the brutal ethnic violence that broke out since May 3 in Manipur, which is believed to have killed over 70 and displaced tens of thousands.

This committee will be appointed by the Union government, he said.

Six cases will be investigated by a special CBI team, Shah said, adding a call to people to surrender arms. “If they don’t surrender the weapons, very strong action will be taken,” he said, according to NDTV.

Meanwhile, reports say that Manipur DGP P. Doungel, who belongs to a prominent Kuki family.has been replaced by IPS Rajiv Singh who was IG, CRPF, and sent to Manipur on inter-cadre deputation as recently as May 29.

Shah is visiting the state 25 days after the violence broke out. Earlier reports had noted that at the relief camps which Shah visited, those affected spoke to Shah of the state government having been a mute spectator in the violence.

There have also been firm cries among the Bharatiya Janata Party state government’s Kuki leaders calling for the chief minister N. Biren Singh’s resignation.

Today, addressing a press conference, Shah said that a “peace committee” will be formed under Biren, according to Indian Express. It will have representatives from all political parties, and both sides which saw violence, the report said.

NDTV, however, has reported that the peace committee will be set up under the Governor and security advisor Kuldeep Singh and members of the civil society.

Hindustan Times has reported Shah as having said that an inter-agency unified command will start working in the state from today under Kuldeep Singh, retired DG, CRPF. This committee will be overseeing the coordination among the agencies deployed in the state to manage the situation.

In his press conference, Shah claimed that since the BJP government came to power in Manipur, curfew and strikes and similar disturbances have purportedly stopped. He said that he met several politicians, civil society representatives and those affected.

Indian Express has reported that Shah also called the Manipur high court’s order, which asked the state government to submit a recommendation to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meitei community, “a hasty decision which led to a conflict between the Kuki and Meiti community in Manipur.”

The Supreme Court has earlier criticised this decision.