New Delhi: The Manipur High Court Monday directed the release of Imphal-based journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem who was in detention under the National Security Act since November.

Wangkhem was detained for airing a video on social media in which he spoke out against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Wangkhem’s advocate Shreeji Bavsar confirmed the court’s oral order to ThePrint. The written order of the high court is still awaited.

‘Mere expression’

Wangkhem was taken into custody by the state police in November 2018, and was awarded a 12-month jail term — the maximum sentence allowed under the NSA. He was working for a local news channel at the time.

In the video in question, the journalist was seen condemning Modi, Singh and the RSS for organising a function where Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi was commemorated and her fight for freedom against the British was linked to Manipur’s freedom movement. The video was in Wangkhem’s language Meitei.

Days before he was detained under the NSA, Wangkhem was also arrested for airing the video with sedition charges under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

However, a local court had set aside the sedition charges and ordered his release. The court observed that his words were “a mere expression of opinion against the public conduct of a public figure in a street language”.

A day after he was released from custody, the state police arrested him again and charged him under provisions of the NSA. In December, the advisory board constituted under the Act took cognisance of the arrest and approved his year-long detention.

Wangkem challenged this order before the high court.

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