Editor in Court for seditious editorial
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network

Imphal, May 31 2014 : A former Manipuri journalist appeared before a court here today in connection with one of his editorials written in a newspaper some 17 years back.

The government accused the former journalist that his editorial was "seditious, inflammatory in language with a calculated design to excite feelings of disaffection..." and charged him with promoting "feelings of contempt, enmity and hatred among the general public and different communities" .

On September 12, 1997, R.K.Ranendrajit, the editor of Imphal based English daily 'Freedom' had an editorial entitled 'Eclipse Month' .

Reacting to that editorial, an FIR was lodged against the editor by the government.

However, R.K Ranendrajit took the anticipatory bail then.

Later, sometimes in the month of April/May of the following year a charge-sheet was filed against R.K Ranendrajit.

Ranendrajit appeared before the Special Judge of Manipur East A Guneshwor Sharma at Cheirap Court here today in connection with this charge-sheet.

In the hearing of the case, Defence counsel Khaidem Mani argued that there was nothing anti-national or seditious in the said editorial of the journalist.

The defence counsel further said that after the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 was promulgated in the whole of Manipur in 1980 there have been issues of human rights violations where people have been expressing their anger against the Act and that the editor was highlighting this aspect in line with the right to constructive comment in this largest democracy.

"In this 17 years there is not a single case of bandh or protest instigated by the 1997 editorial of the editor," Khaidem Mani pointed out. Advocate Bimola, who is the counsel of the government, produced several editorials of R.K Ranendrajit during the hearing today and contended that besides the editorial of September 12, 1997 there have been several editorials written on January 4, 1997; January 29, 1997; January 30, 1997; February 17, 1997; March 16, 1997 and April 27, 1997 that are seditious and inflammatory in language.

After hearing both the sides, the Special Judge ordered that the 'charge hearing order' will be made on June 13 .

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