‘Frontier Manipur’ Editors Booked Under UAPA

Editors of Frontier Manipur, a news portal, have been arrested on Sunday booked under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for publishing an article that questioned the state's militancy movement.

Several media outlets have reported that the two editors – Paojel Chaoba, the executive editor and Dhiren Sadokpam, the editor –in-chief have been charged with sedition.

The duo have been charged for the article "Revolutionary journey in a mess" published on January 8 under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 505(b) (causing alarm to induce offence against the state), and 34 (common intention), as well as the UAPA's Section 39 (supporting terror organisation).

Meanwhile, the journalists are in police custody.

In the FIR registered by Manipur also lists the author M Joy Luwang as an accused in the case along with the two journalists.

An Outlook report stated that the FIR read, "the author… endorsed revolutionary ideologies and activities and expressed… dismay at the deteriorating character of the armed revolutionary leaders of Manipur in the recent decade".

Furthermore, a Scroll.in report stated: Imphal West Police Superintendent K Meghachandra Singh said the police filed the FIR suo motu based on the publication of the article. He, however, said that the identity or the affiliation of the writer of the article was not immediately clear. The publication is not having any registration also and the editor is not able to provide the particulars of the contributor.