Govt given 48-hrs to take action against rogue cops
Deputy CM Gaikhangam apologizes on behalf of Police Department; Assures Action
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, August 18 2015: The Government of Manipur has been given 48 hours from 6 pm Tuesday to take stringent legal action against the rogue police commandos responsible for brutally assaulting Willar Leimapokpam, a staff member of Hueiyen Lanpao.

The deadline was given by a delegation of media persons led by All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) President while submitting a representation to the Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam who also is in charge of Home Department on Tuesday.

Gaikhangam was apprised of the minute sequence of event that led to the incident during a brief meeting at his residential chamber.

Govt given 48-hrs to take action against rogue cops

In the representation submitted to him, AMWJU strongly condemned the incident and asked the Government to ensure taking care of all the medical expenses spent by the Willar Leimapokpam's family and the two others media persons � Johnson Mangang, Editor of Image Monthly Journal and Ph Harish Sharma, Reporter of the same journal who were assaulted by the commandos besides required compensation at the earliest.

If the authorities fail to take action within 48 hours, AMWJU will take "further course of rigid agitation" against the Police Department, said the representation.

AMWJU also requested the responsible authorities to furnish all the names of the guilty personnel.

The Deputy Chief Minister was also shown CCTV clippings of the incident which covered the entire sequence of event including how Willar Leimapokpam was dragged mercilessly and thrashed.

Gaikhangam while expressing regret over the incident apologized to the delegation over the incident on behalf of the Police Department.

The Deputy Chief Minister assured that necessary actions will be taken after considering the details of the incident.

Apart from the demands made during the meeting, Editor of Hueiyen Lanapo (English Edition) Dhiren A Sadokpam had also submitted his views that any proposed action decided by the Government should consider three points.

First, all the demands related to the incident should be seriously addressed by the Government and all the guilty police personnel be booked as per the existing law.

Second, the Editor pointed out that the assault on the three media persons including Willar Leimapokpam right in front of a media house amounts to direct attack on the sanctity of media institutions and thirdly, he said this attack was an unforgivable assault on freedom of the press and the entire media fraternity.

Media persons protest assault .

Hundreds of media persons on Tuesday took out a rally against the brutal assault of Willar Leimapokpam, a staff member of Hueiyen Lanpao.

Expressing anger and dismay over the incident, the media persons silently marched from of the premises of the Manipur Press Club till the Nupilal Memorial complex led by AMWJU President Wangkhem Shamjai, executive members and other senior journalists.

The protesting media persons held placards condemning the incident.

Sit-in oragnised .

Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri Mapal residents staged a sit-in against police brutality on media persons particularly Willar Leimapokpam.

They demanded that all those responsible police commandos should be awarded exemplary punishment and termed the incident as an assault on the media freedom.

Women, men, youth and local club members supported the protest.

All the participants were unanimous with the demand for awarding befitting punishment to the guilty police commandos.