Scribe assaulted by IRB men
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 11 2014:
A senior reporter of Imphal Free Press was physically assaulted by some personnel of 1st Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) at the northern gate of Kangla Fort at around 11.30 pm yesterday.
The assaulted reporter has been identified as Aribam Dhananjoy Sharma aka Chaoba of Thangmeiband Lourungpurel Leikai, Imphal West.
The incident happened while Chaoba was returning home in a motorcycle from his New Checkon office after completing his daily chores.
Suddenly, some IRB personnel detailed near Kangla Northern Gate flashed torchlight to stop him.
However, he stopped at some distance away from the security men as he could not apply the brakes instantly.
Chaoba turned back his vehicle and came near the IRB personnel.
One of the security personnel asked him to lie down on the dusty road, but Chaoba refused to do so.
The personnel then pulled him on his collar and insisted him to lie down on the road.
He questioned the IRB man why he had to lie down on the road.
The security asked why he was acting boastfully and what his profession was.
Chaoba identified himself as a senior reporter of Imphal Free Press and also a member of All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU).
On hearing the response, the IRB man said that he is the younger brother of Minister Nasir and a journalist did not matter much to him.
The security man then threatened to shoot dead Chaoba, and hit him on his face with a wireless radio set.
He got severely wounded near his eyebrow.
He was detained there for about 45 minutes.
The IRB personnel also seized Chaoba's mobile phone when he tried to call up his friends.
He pleaded to the security personnel to call a medical team to provide him first aid, but they ignored his request.
After some time, a team of Imphal West Police came to the spot and took him to Raj Clinic where his wounds were stitched.
The IRB man told the police that he was a thief caught by them.
Later, Chaoba was released by the police after the Editor of Imphal Free Press duly verified him.
Meanwhile, President of AMWJU Wangkhemcha Shyamjai today filed a complaint to the OC of Imphal Police Station regarding the incident and the same was communicated to Press Council of India, Indian Journalists' Union, International Federation of Journalists and Northeast India Federation of Journalists.
AMWJU has condemned the incident in the strongest term and resolved to seek action against the IRB personnel through law court.