Editor appears at Court
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, May 31 2014 : A former journalist of the State appeared before a court in Imphal today for his editorials written some 17 years ago in his newspaper based in Imphal.

The gover-nment accused the former journalist that his editorials "are seditious, inflammatory in lan-guage with a calculated design to excite feelings of disaffec-tion..." The former journalist has also been charged that the editorials he wrote 17 years ago "promote feelings of contempt, enmity and hatred among the general public and different communities" .

On September 12, 1997, R.K.Ranendrajit, the editor of Imphal based English daily 'Freedom' had an editorial entitled 'Eclipse Month'.

Reacting to that editorial, an FIR was lodged against the editor by the government.

However, R.K Ranendrajit took the anticipatory bail then.

Later, sometimes in the month of April/May the following year a charge-sheet against R.K Ranendrajit was filed.

Meanwhile, in a hearing today at Cheirap Court here before Special Judge, Manipur East A Guneshwor Sharma.

Defence counsel Khaidem Mani in his argument before the Special Judge that there was nothing anti-national or seditious in the said editorial of the journalist.

Khaidem Mani also said it was the fair comment regarding the said editorial.

The defence counsel further said that after the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 was promulgated in the whole of Manipur in 1980 there have been issues of human rights violations where people have been expressing their anger against the Act and that the editor was highlighting on this aspect in line with the right to constructive comment in this largest democracy.

"In this 17 years there is not a single case of bandh or protest instigated by the 1997 editorials of the editor," Khaidem Mani pointed out.

Bimola is the counsel of the government.

She produced several editorials of R.K Ranendrajit during the hearing today.

According to the government counsel besides the editorial of September 12, 1997 there have been several editorials that are seditious and inflammatory in language which include the editorials of January 4, 1997, January 29, 1997, January 30, 1997, February 17, 1997, March 16, 1997 and April 27, 1997 .

Meanwhile, the Special Judge after hearing the argument from both sides, has said that 'charge hearing order' will be made on June 13 .

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