Man remanded for FB post
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 14 2025: Thiyam Dharmendra (38), accused of uploading a threatening post on Facebook against Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his Ministers has been remanded to police custody till January 17 by the Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal West.

A Facebook handle "Punshi Minaigi" allegedly operated by Dharmendra had posted "Manipur Kanse Hairadi CM Biren Amadi Magi Left Hand Right Hand Leiriba Minister Loisinba Darkar Lei" .

Thiyam Dharmendra is son of Th Shyamkeshwor of Nambol Top Khabi Mayai Leikai.

He was arrested from Bengaluru on January 9 and brought to Imphal by Imphal Police after acquiring transit remand from a Court.

Dharmendra was produced in the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal West, along with a prayer for remanding him to police custody.

During the hearing, the State Prosecutor submitted that on December 18 last year, OC Imphal Police Station submitted an enquiry report stating he come across the threatening viral post on Facebook page "Manipur News Group 2024" and found it to have been uploaded by a handle by the name "Punshi Minaigi" .

The post "Manipur Kanse Hairadi CM Biren Amadi Magi Left Hand Right Hand Leiriba Minister Loisinba Darkar Lei" translates to "If we are to save Manipur then we need to finish CM Biren and his Ministers", submitted the Prosecutor.

During the course of the investigation, the police identified and arrested three accused persons identified as Th Romen alias Naoba, Ningombam Dingku and Malemnganba Laithangbam alias Malem, who were the admins/moderators of the Facebook Page "Manipur News Group 2024" .

While the three were out on bail, the police took the help of Cyber Crime Police Station to establish the identity of the person behind the handle "Punshi Minaigi" as Thiyam Dharmendra Singh, who works at Mobily Infotech India Ltd Whitefield, Bengaluru.

He was arrested from RMZ NXT Building, Whitefield Road, Bengaluru on January 9 and the police seized two mobile phones from him, said the Prosecutor.

On preliminary interrogation, Dharmendra revealed that he opened a Facebook account under the name "Luwang Thiyam" and later changed it to "Nongdrenkhomba" before changing it further to "Punshi Minaigi" .

His Facebook post directly threatened and defamed the Chief Minister of Manipur and other MLAs.

It provoked the general public and incited common people to destabilise and revolt against the State Government led by N Biren Singh and his Cabinet colleagues.

The statement/message shows the nexus between this group and those who are involved in the vandalisation of the houses of Ministers and MLAs of the State.

It incited mob violence so as to prolong and continue the violence and destroy public peace and tranquillity and disturb social harmony, said the prosecutor.

A concrete investigation to find out his connection with any UG, political party and CSOs are to be verified and the accused person is still concealing many facts leading to the commission of the crime.

He is not fully cooperating with the investigating agency, said the prosecutor.

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