Manipur journalist assaulted by Police during IDP protest coverage, media fraternity demands action

A Manipur Police official assaulted a journalist from Impact TV during the coverage of an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) protest rally this afternoon at Singjamei Akampat, igniting a strong condemnation from the media fraternity. In response, journalists staged a protest rally demanding stringent action against the accused officer.

The protest was jointly organized by the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and Editors Guild Manipur (EGM). Protestors marched from the Manipur Press Club to the Chief Minister’s bungalow, where representatives of EGM and AMWJU met with Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and submitted a memorandum.

R.C. Mangang, an Impact TV reporter, recounted his ordeal, explaining that he and his crew arrived at the Akampat relief camp in Imphal East to cover the IDP protest rally. While his cameraman was filming, Mangang began recording the scene on his phone. “Suddenly, a Sub-Inspector approached me, questioning why I was filming,” he said. “I told him I was a journalist, but before I could show my press card, he assaulted me.”

Mangang detailed the attack, stating that the Sub-Inspector punched him four to five times, broke his mobile phone, tore his shirt, and even threatened to kill him. He sustained injuries and was rushed to Raj Medicity for treatment.

Y Rupachandra, Chief Editor of IMPACT TV and General Secretary of EGM, strongly condemned the attack. “The media fraternity stands united against this assault on a journalist,” he declared. Following the protest rally, media representatives met with the Chief Minister, urging for swift and appropriate action.

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh expressed his condemnation of the incident and assured the media representatives that he would direct the Director General of Police (DGP) to investigate the case. He promised to identify the police official involved by tomorrow.

The memorandum submitted by the journalist fraternity demands an immediate investigation into the attack, strict instructions to police on handling media personnel during protests, and the identification and action against the culprit within 48 hours.