'Journalist kidnapped', claims activist
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 17 2015: The Assistant Editor of Khohui News Magazine was allegedly "kidnapped by some miscreants" on Tuesday after collecting information on human right issues related to child soldiers in Manipur, claimed a press note issued by REACHOUT Lead Coordinator Kshetrimayum Onil.

In a press note, the scribe is identified as one Mangneo Touthang aged about 30 years working as Assistant Editor of Khohui News Magazine.

The incident happened when the scribe visited to REACHOUT office Lead Coordinator Kshetrimayum Onil's house.

On getting the information at around 05:00 pm he left the place and he was kidnapped by some unknown persons at Leirak Macha, Elangbam Leikai, Keisamthong, Imphal West.

"The unknown persons came in white Bolero jeep and Activa moped some of the eyewitness revealed," Onil said.

In a statement, REACHOUT Lead Coordinator Kshetrimayum Onil said that on hearing the information their organisation went to file a complaint letter for urgent intervention to find the culprits.

However, the OC of Imphal West refused to accept the complaint letter stating that the said person is in the custody of Commando Barrack in Minuthong.

Since it is a "covert operation" there is no need to file a complaint letter.

Onil lamented that "the questions remains how can a person who works as a journalist can be arrest without disclosing any arrest memo.

Why he is being arrested in a kidnapping way as he is conspicuously day in and day out as a journalists.

Journalist can go to any place, any time to meet anyone with his/her own risk without any jurisdiction to disclose the truth.

The act of todays' incident is a direct attack to journalist and journalism ethics by the Manipur Police forces to muffle the truth" .

Reachout urged the Government of Manipur to immediate release Mangneo Touthang immediately.

Any "clandestine operation" must be informed on the reason ground with arrest memo before his arrest.

Even in war zone respect of journalists is an international ethics unless they are target by some people with ulterior motives to silence the truth.

This unethical acts of Manipur police is highly condemnable and we appeal for the immediate release of Mangneo Touthang, Onil said.

Reachout will take up further course of action in the court of law if there is no positive reply from the government, he added.

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