Manipur journalists on Saturday took out a protest rally in Imphal demanding immediate and unconditional release of fellow journalist Kishorchandra Wangkhemcha on Thursday by state police for uploading a post in Facebook which allegedly contained rumours and defamatory remarks.
The protest rally was taken out from Manipur Press Club till the Chief Minister’s bungalow in the evening.
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As per the police FIR report, the journalist who is a sub-editor cum anchor of ISTV network, was arrested from his home late Thursday night for posting a statement in his Facebook account which as per the FIR charged against him states that his post intended to ‘cause fear or alarm to sections of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or public tranquility and incited any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community, promoting enmity or hatred between classes on ground of religion, caste or community.’
A case has been registered under FIR no. 173(8)2018 IPS, under section 505(2)/500 IPC against him and ironically not under any cyber law act.
He was sent to judicial custody for 15 days by the chief judicial magistrate, Imphal West on Friday.
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The journalist fraternity strongly condemned the arrest as ‘arbitrary’ and demanded immediate release of the journalist staging strong protest at Manipur Press Club on Saturday.
Later, representatives of All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union led by its president, Brojendro Ningombam met Chief Minister, N Biren Singh in the evening and tendered apology on behalf of Kishorchandra.
The Chief Minister has, meanwhile, given assurance that Kishorchandra will be released shortly on bail.