Imphal-based journalist Kishorchandra Wangkhem, Elangbam Ranita, and their two daughters. (Courtesy: Facebook)Imphal-based journalist Kishorchandra Wangkhem, who was arrested more than 3 months ago, will return home soon as the Manipur High Court Monday revoked the NSA detention order.
The copy of the order is expected soon. Wangkhem’s family, overwhelmed by the court’s decision, says that they expect the release in a few days.
Wangkhem, associated with a cable TV network, was booked under the NSA and arrested on November 20 last year for making derogatory comments against the ruling BJP government and using “abusive” words against Chief Minister N Biren Singh, in a Facebook post.
After his release on November 20, Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal West granted bail to him, terming his video as a mere expression of opinion. But on November 27 again, he was re-arrested.
Days after his re-arrest, Wangkhem spoke to the media and said that he will fight for justice till his last breath. “My detention under NSA is arbitrary. The allegation levelled against me are baseless, they are trying to stop me from raising my voice against the government. I will fight till my last breath at the High Court or the Supreme Court to get justice,” Wangkhem told the media people.
Read | Life’s changed… will fight it out legally, says Manipur journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem’s wife
“If we cannot say anything against the government, then, it shows that there is no democracy in the land, arresting me under NSA for speaking against the government should be appropriate only in the times of Hitler,” Wangkhem said.
With this issue, Brozendro Ningomba, the president of All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) said that Kishorchandra is not a journalist. However, Wangkhem refuted his statement.
This was not the first time he was arrested. In August 2018, he was arrested for alleged communal and inflammatory posts.
Wangkhem’s wife, Elangbam Ranita, said that she will take up the matter legally. She told the Indian Express that now, she was more aware of what was happening around her. “The last 100 days have changed me. I am more aware of what is happening in society. Earlier my focus used to be only my family and my children. Now I also look at human rights issues, and interacting with lawyers and activists,” Ranita told the Indian Express.
