Attack on scribe: Gunmen fire at Chaoba's house
AMWJU calls general body meeting today
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN

Imphal, February 16 2014: Ten days after a group of personnel belonging to Ist India Reserve Battalion (IRB) led by one Havildar Md Mujibur Rahman, who claimed himself to be the younger brother of Agriculture Minister Md Abdul Nasir, assaulted and injured journalist staff reporter of Imphal Free Press Aribam Dhananjoy Sharma alias Chaoba at the northern gate of Kangla Fort here while he was returning home from duty at around 11.30 pm on February 10, some unidentified armed persons who came in a car opened two rounds of gunshot at his Thangmeiband Lourungpurel Leikai residence at around 7:50 yesterday.

Minister Md Nasir, however, later on clarified that Havildar Md Mujibur Rahman, is neither his younger brother nor even a distant relative and strongly condemned the assault.

Subsequently, the accused Havildar was reported to have been placed under suspension by the State Police.

After opening two rounds of blank-fire, the unidentified armed persons reportedly drove their car towards Lamphel side.

Condemning the incident, President of All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) Wangkhemcha Shyamjai said that such unwarranted threat has created a sense of fear in the mind of Chaoba and his family members.

Apart from the fact that no action has been taken up against the accused Havildar Md Mujibur Rahman and no copy of the order related to his suspension from service by the State Police Department to AMWJU, the earlier threat given to Chaoba by the accused Havildar that he would be killed if any complaint is lodged against him, has made the latest incident more suspicious, Shyamjai observed.

In view of the disturbing development, a general body meeting of AMWJU has also been called at Manipur Press Club here at 11 am tomorrow, Shyamjai informed, while appealing to all the members to come in time for the general body meeting.

While recalling some past instances in which journalists in Manipur were targeted and even killed, Shyamjai asserted that the FIR registered by the police in connection with the physical assault on Chaoba was too lenient in comparison to the magnitude of the crime committed.

So to take a definite stand against such threats on the lives of the journalists in Manipur and to ensure such incidents are not repeated, AMWJU is preparing to fight the case in the law court and Advocate Rakesh Meihoubam has been consulted in this regard.

Meanwhile, Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has asked the Chief Minister of Manipur to award the severest form of action on the IRB personnel involved in the assault incident of Chaoba.

A missive of IJU addressed to the Chief Minister reached AMWJU today but today being a holiday (Sunday), the letter is will be submitted to the Chief Minister tomorrow.

In the strongly worded letter, IJU demanded that the severest action be given to the IRB personnel involved and stern warning be used to avoid repeat of such incidents in future.

The IJU then demanded that the victim journalist be duly compensated and the media in Manipur be assured safety and security.

IJU further maintained that the attack on Chaoba is an attack on the freedom of the press as a whole.

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