The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Manipur government to submit in a sealed cover the details of the number of buildings damaged and properties looted and encroached on during the ongoing ethnic violence.

The bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said: “We direct the state of Manipur to file the following details: number of buildings burnt, buildings partially burnt, buildings trespassed and encroached upon, details of the owners of the properties and the persons occupying the properties.”

The report should also provide information about the owners and current occupants of these properties, along with the details of any legal action taken against the trespassers, the bench said.

“You also have to take a decision on how you want to deal with it in terms of criminal action as well as ask them (allegedly illegal occupants) to pay mesne profit for the use,” CJI Khanna told solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Manipur government.

Mesne profit is the compensation paid to a rightful owner of a property by a person who is in unlawful possession of it.

The bench ­asked the state government to respond to the issue of the release of funds for temporary and permanent housing facilities for the displaced, as flagged by a three-judge panel headed by Justice Gita Mittal, former chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

Senior advocate Vibha Makhija, appearing for the panel, said it had submitted 49 reports on the crisis that began on May 3 last year.

The Supreme Court had on August 7 last year taken note of the pleas related to the Manipur violence and passed a slew of directions, which included the formation of a committee of three former women high court judges to oversee the relief and rehabilitation of the victims and the compensation to them. The court had directed former Maharashtra police chief Dattatray Padsalgikar to monitor the probe in the criminal cases.

One of the lawyers appearing for the petitioners on Monday claimed that public trust in the central and state governments was getting eroded and urged the court to act decisively.

“We are aware of it,” the CJI said.

Mehta expressed concern about the narratives being created to hog media attention and informed the court that the state was prioritising law and order and the recovery of looted arms.

The bench adjourned the matter to the third week of January, by when the Manipur government is expected to submit the details sought.