Youth remanded to judicial custody
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 21 2021: The Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal West remanded Nongmaithem Boboy to judicial custody for passing derogatory comment on a Facebook post by Chief Minister N Biren in connection with a cleanliness campaign organized at Ima Keithel on the occasion of PM Narendra Modi's 71st birthday celebration.

Nongmaithem Boboy (22), son of Saratkumar of Takyel Khongbal Maning leikai was arrested by a team of Lamphel Police on September 19 in connection with the comment reading "Modi gi thi sengo yenge/Clean the faeces of Modi and we'll watch" .

He was produced before the Court today after completion of police remand and with a prayer for judicial custody remand.

The defense counsel of the accused however filed remand objection and prayed the Court to release him on bail.

APP of the State also prayed orally before the Court for rectification of the error of the section on which the accused was booked from 505(2-b) IPC to 505(2) IPC.

The Court allowed the changes stating that the case is in investigation stage and as new facts and evidences were found to be changing.

The Court also observed that the comment passed by the accused on the Facebook page of the Chief Minister of Manipur may have already made its round before it was deleted by the accused on second thought.

It is evident that the comment directly targets the Chief Minister on the very Facebook page of Chief Minister N Biren and also directly mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The comment is derogatory in nature and seems to show the hatred or ill �will of the accused against the elected representative of the State, the Court observed.

A public figure and an elected representative of the State might have multiple followers on social media and out of the followers some might stand for him and others might stand against him.

But the accused without contemplating the effect his comment might have caused between the two classes/ groups of followers, made the irresponsible and derogatory comment, it observed.

Such comment cannot be overlooked as it may create a negative precedent and may cause more harm than good, the Court observed and remanded Nongmaithem Boboy to judicial custody till October 5 .

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