RTI, court case filed over Gwaltabi incident
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 28 2025: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) filed an RTI and sought information from the home department on the concealment of 'Manipur' from the Manipur State Transport bus carrying journalists to cover the Shirui Lily festival on May 20 at Gwaltabi.

MPCC submitted a written complaint in this regard to commissioner (home), seeking information as to who directed 'Manipur' to be erased from the MST bus and why.

Giving details about the RTI filed on Wednesday, MPCC legal department vice president cum spokesperson Dr Rabi Khan told media persons at Congress Bhawan that the Gwaltabi incident was unprecedented in the history of the Manipur.

RTI, court case filed over Gwaltabi incident

Journalists who boarded the MST bus were not going for personal work but to cover inaugural ceremony of a mega tourism festival organised by the state government.

The excessive act committed by security forces upon journalists at Gwaltabi check-point was dishonour to Manipur and entire people of the state.

Demanding clarification and apology for the incident, people and CSOs of the state are launching intense agitation.

Acknowledging sentiments of the people, MPCC decided to file an RTI to seek information on who plotted the incident and accordingly filed a complaint to state public information officer (home commissioner) and defence ministry's central public information officer, elaborated the legal department vice president.

Claiming that the act was committed at the advice of either the state home department or state leaders, who cannot run away, he expressed that the RTI will also help in unearthing involvement of the commandant of the 4 Mahar Regiment in the incident.

Dr Rabi Khan asserted that MPCC will take further steps based on reply of the RTI.

Meanwhile, a petition has been filed at the High Court of Manipur against the action of the central security forces at Gwaltabi on May 20 .

On Wednesday, a double bench of Chief Justice K Somashekar and Justice A Bimol discussed the petition, filed by Dr Bachaspatimayum Deben Sharma and represented by counsel Khaidem Mani and assisted by Meihoubam Rakesh.

During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel submitted that security forces stopped a Manipur State Transport (MST) bus carrying media persons at Gwaltabi check post and forced the occupants to conceal the word "Manipur" on the bus' windshield.

"This is violation of the fundamentals rights given by the Constitution under Article 19 (1) D) and 21 .

The incident sparked a wave of protests across the state and the government announced an enquiry into the matter On May 21.However, the order for the enquiry has many loopholes and the enquiry committee has no representation from the media fraternity or civil society," according to the counsel.

After listening to the submission, the bench ordered for a notice to be sent to the respondents and instructed the union and state governments to respond.

It then fixed the next hearing of the petition on June 10 .