Court grants bail to Wangthoi, Erendro
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 17 2021:
The Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal West today ordered to release Wangkhemcha Wangthoi alias Kishorchand and Leichombam Erendro Convener of People's Resurgence Justice Alliance (PRJA) on bail on their execution of required PR bond and surety of same amount before the Court.
Both of them were arrested by a team of Imphal Police Station May 13 night based on the complaints lodged by Usham Deben, vice president of BJP Manipur Pradesh and Pangambam Premananda, general secretary of BJP Manipur Pradesh on the same day.
Wangkhemcha Wangthoi and Leichombam Erendro were produced before the Court after the completion of four-days police custody today.
The complaints were allegedly lodged for their facebook posts.
Wangkhemcha Wangthoi had written "Santhi Sanyung na yadrabo, oh!!! RIP.
#Rashikang Kangyet Hayeng nga chaani," on his Facebook post while Leichombam Erendro posted, "The cure for Corona is not cow dung & cow urine.
The cure is science & common sense.
Professor ji RIP," in his Facebook page.
The Court perused the case record and also heard the submissions of Defense Counsels and IO of the case.
The APP of the two cases submitted that the accused persons were arrested as their posts on social media (Facebook) created enmity and hatred.
Further submitting that both accused persons were earlier arrested and lodged in jail for similar offences, the APP prayed the Court to remand them to judicial custody.
On the other hand, Counsel of accused Wangkhemcha Wangthoi submitted that the complaint was made on flimsy grounds and was a politically motivated complaint.
The Counsel further submitted that the particular word 'Rashikang Kangyet' does not refer to a particular person and hence the arrest is baseless.
The Counsel appearing on behalf of Erendro too contended that his client is quite innocent and the offences alleged against him are all false and concocted.
The Facebook post uploaded by Erendro does not refer to any particular person.
No particular caste, community or political party is mentioned in the particular post and thus the said post/caption cannot disrupt public tranquility.
The Counsels also prayed for release of the accused duo on bail.
The Court after hearing both parties and on perusal of the material available, observed that the posts by accused persons, even though it didn't name any persons, seemed to indicate that it was directed to the deceased Professor S Tikendra, president of BJP.
The said posts are seemingly irresponsible and insensitive and hurt the sentiments of the family members of the deceased and others who are near and dear ones to the deceased, the Court observed.
The Court rejected the prayer for formal arrest and ordered to release the accused persons on bail on their execution of a PR bond of Rs 50 thousand with a surety of the same amount and on the conditions that they shall not repeat similar offence in the future.
The Court also ordered that accused persons should make themselves available for interrogation by the IO as and when required and if they commit a similar offence in future, no leniency will be given by the Court.
They should not leave the State of Manipur without prior permission of the Court till the trial is over.