Police-Media role stressed in insuring better justice
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 28 2013:
A day-long seminar cum workshop on the theme "How Police and Media can work in tandem to deliver better justice to the people" organized jointly by Manipur Police Department and All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) was held at the banquet hall of 1st MR here today.
Inaugurating the event as Chief Guest, Chief Minister O Ibobi stated that mob justice of taking the law into one's own hands without cross-checking and verifying the charges and then destroying houses and properties of the accused is indeed unwanted and illegal.
Very often mob justice violates individual's human rights.
Initiation of such actions without going through the legal process or Police investigation often result to the acquittal of the criminals in the courts, the Chief Minister observed, adding, "It is for consideration of the conscientious citizens to ponder whether mob justice is good, or is it acceptable for the betterment of the society or are we left with no other alternatives to bring justice or ultimately stop this mob justice and entrust it to the law enforcing agencies" .
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The Chief Minister, while highlighting the increasing cases of crimes against women in the State, informed that despite widespread media coverage and public disapproval, incidents of such crimes against women are increasing and this has seriously affected our society.
We need to come up with something solid to prevent such crimes against women or else the State will not be safe for the womenfolk to venture out alone in lonely places.Pointing out the menace of psychotropic substances prevailing in the society, the Chief Minister said that in spite of stringent laws and Acts enacted by the government, there appears to be rampant misuse of these substances.
Even the law enforcement agencies like Police and the Army are no exception to such illicit trading.
So, there is the urgent need to solve the problem before more damages are done.
This problem has become so pervasive that an urgent step is required to stop the menace.
He further pointed out that the role of media in bringing awareness to these social evils to the general public and persuade even the wrong doers to desist from committing crimes may perhaps be possible when the Media in tandem with the Academicians, the law enforcing agencies like the Police, has become the need of the hour.
Delivering the Presidential speech, Th Debendra, Minister for Revenue, Law stated that media is the foundation of democracy.
Media persons are performing their duties honestly.
However, the media persons are not given adequate security to safeguard their own lives.
Adding to that, there is no law which safeguards the lives of a media person.
Wangkhemcha Shyamjai, President of AMWJU, was the Guest of Honour of the inaugural function of the seminar cum workshop attended by top police officials, media persons, scholars and the activists in the state.
Freelance journalist Anjulika Samom, Imphal Times editor Rinku Khumukcham, Imphal correspondent of The Times of India Saroj Kumar, senior police officers and intellectuals presented papers during the seminar cum workshop.