Arrests – Journalists

Manipur journalists staged a protest march from outside Manipur Press Club to chief minister N. Biren Singh’s official residence in Imphal on Saturday against the recent arrest of a colleague for allegedly writing inflammatory posts on social media and demanded his release.

According to a Newslaundry report, television journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem was taken into custody on the night of August 9 and charged under IPC sections 505(2) and 506. Wangkhem, who continues to be in custody, works as an anchor and sub-editor at Information Service Television Network and hosts a programme covering politics and society.

The journalist has been accused of writing Facebook posts with the intention of inciting public mischief. He has also been charged with criminal intimidation, Scroll.in reported. According to the first information report, Wangkhem posted pictures on the social media platform with captions that were 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.” On August 10, he was produced before the chief judicial magistrate of Imphal and sent to 15-day police custody.