Scribe assault case AMWJU to take legal recourse
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 13, 2013:
Visibly upset with the latest incident of security force personnel assaulting a media person, All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) president Wangkhemcha Shyamjai asserted that unlike the past 'reconciliation' formula would not be adopted but the matter would be taken to the court of law.
Speaking at Manipur Press Club today in connection with the physical assault of Aribam Chaoba Sharma of Imphal Free Press on February 10 night, Shyamjai said previous trend of settling scribe-assault cases through rapprochement between the parties concerned seems to be a futile exercise if one takes into account repetition of such incidents.
Accepting that some security personnel accused of assaulting scribes were put under suspension consequent to agreement with the Government, he nevertheless maintained in most cases the accused personnel are subjected to light punishment as the suspension order is revoked after some time and similar incidents recur.
No amount of protest demonstrations by the scribes or assurances by the Government representatives including the CM and Ministers seem to be having the desired impact in checking offences by uniformed personnel against media persons, said the president iterating that in the present case the court would be approached for relevant action against the guilty ones.
Regarding the Chaoba Sharma assault case, Shyamjai said an FIR registered in Imphal police station not including Arms Act is not only questionable but also unacceptable and thus prompting the decision to legal recourse.
It is said that Chaoba was assaulted by an IRB team while returning home from the IFP office.
IFP's Dhanabir joining the media briefing decried alleged delay in formally filing a case on the incident by the police.
While Chaoba was assaulted on February 10 formal complaint was lodged on the next day but the police registered that case only on February 12 at 7.30 pm, he explained substantiating his contention.
Among the IRB team, Havildar Md Majibur Rehman is said to have been most volatile.
Besides thrashing Chaoba, Majibur allegedly threatened to shoot the scribe if the victim reports the incident.
Senior journalist Ratan Luwangcha, who replaces A Dilip of The Sangai Express as the AMWJU vice president after the latter volunteered to relinquish from the post citing personal reason, said the latest case of scribe-assault has been conveyed to the Press Council of India through the Indian Journalist Union.
Expressing confidence that appropriate punitive action would be definitely initiated against the accused IRB Havildar, Ratan observed that with a formal complaint lodged to the police and Chaoba being threatened of dire consequences the victim scribe deserves to have police protection.
Meanwhile, Shyamjai said only one AMWJU representative would join the meeting of IJU's national executive council at Bangalore from march 1 till 3 .
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