Imphal: A 50-year-old man was arrested by the Manipur Cyber Crime Police Station for allegedly uploading a digitally morphed and objectionable image of Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, the state’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister, on Facebook.
Laishram Mangibabu Singh, a resident of Moirang Khunou Mamang Sabal in Bishnupur district, was arrested from his home at around 11:45 pm on August 10, 2026.
The arrest followed routine social media monitoring by the Cyber Crime Police Station team, which flagged the indecently edited image and its derogatory Meiteilon caption at around 8:30 pm the same day. Police seized a mobile phone containing the SIM card allegedly used to upload the post on August 9.
The accused was produced before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West, on August 11. The Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) sought three days of police custody to question the accused.
The prosecution said further investigation was required to identify the source of the original photograph, determine the software or device used to edit the image, trace where the image was obtained and investigate the possible involvement of other individuals.
The defence counsel opposed the police custody plea and sought bail.
The court observed that the alleged offence falls under Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which is a bailable provision. It also observed that no other acts beyond uploading the image were attributed to the accused.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Imphal West subsequently granted him bail a day after his arrest, subject to certain conditions.
The accused was required to execute a personal recognisance (PR) bond and a surety bond of Rs 50,000 each. He was also directed to cooperate fully with the ongoing police investigation and refrain from similar online activities.
The Manipur Police said the investigation is continuing to trace the source of the content and identify any other persons involved.
The police also warned against creating and circulating indecent or morphed content targeting public figures on social media, saying strict legal action would be taken in such cases.