Manipur HC issues notices to EGI & others
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 14 2023:
The High Court of Manipur on Thursday conducted hearing on a petition filed against the fact-finding report submitted by a three-member team of Editors' Guild of India (EGI) in connection with the ethnic violence in Manipur, and issued notices to the respondents to submit their responses within four weeks.
The petition filed by International Meetei Forum secretary general Thangjam Rolivin mentioned Union of India represented by the secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs, commissioner (Home) of Government of Manipur, EGI president and All Manipur Working Journalists' Union president as official respondents, while EGI members Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan and Sanjay Kapoor are private respondents.
During the hearing of the petition by a bench of the High Court comprising acting Chief Justice MV Muralidaran and Justice Ahanthem Bimol on Thursday, the court issued notices to the respondents, directing them to submit their responses within four weeks on why the petition should not be accepted.
The petition had urged the court to prevent both the central and state governments from relying on the EGI's report and bar any authority or agency from taking any action on the basis of the report .
It further urged the court to pass an order/writ/direction related to any similar matter, directing the state respondents to clarify the total expenditure for development of hill areas with regard to the same mentioned in the EGI's report, while also urging for declaring the report as null and void.
The petitioner's counsels also mentioned the EGI's disclosure that three-member fact finding team came to Manipur at the invitation of the Indian Army and added that the report contained many wrong information, fabrication and telltale signs of being prepared under some group's influence, which, in turn, could further fan the flames of violence in the state.
In connection with the order passed by the Supreme Court with regard to the writ petition (criminal) on September 6, the petitioner's counsels said that the petition, pending in the apex court, was filed by the private respondents, requesting for the FIRs registered against them be quashed.
The pending petition is not only related to the petition being discussed on Thursday but also related to the EGI's report.
However, the pending case and the PIL at the High Court are not similar in any aspect.
After listening to the arguments of the petitioner's counsel, the court observed the need for the respondents to provide their responses so as to further discuss the matter before passing an interim order.
Thus, it issued notices to the respondents directing them to submit their responses within four weeks, while fixing the next date of hearing on October 12 .