Manipur journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem was arrested in May under the provisions of the National Security Act (NSA) for a Facebook post. His wife wrote to Manipur chief secretary Rajesh Kumar on Tuesday and demanded Wangkhem's release.
This comes after political activist Erendro Liechombam, who was charged under the same provisions of NSA, was released on Monday after a ruling by Supreme Court. Following Liechombam's release, the state government has revoked Section 14 (1) of NSA against him.
Kishorechandra Wangkhem's wife, Elangbam Ranjita in a letter asked the same for her husband. She wrote, "My husband has been detained in the Central jail Sajiwa under NSA since May 17 along with one of the detainee Erendro Leichombam who’s NSA has been revoked by your office on July 19," as per a report by Hindustan Times.
Wangkhem and Leichombam were arrested in May after they made a Facebook post refuting claims of cow urine and cow dung cake curing COVID-19. They indirectly mentioned the death of Bharatiya Janta Party president of Manipur, S Tikendra Singh due to the virus.
Ranjita argued that the allegations and the sections of law applied against the two detainees are the same so this calls for her husband's release. “I request your good office to revoke the NSA slapped against my husband so that any further proceedings/any lawful step/course of action may also be dispensed with,” her letter added.
According to a report by Hindustan Times. Ranjita has not received any response from the state government as of yet. This is reportedly the third time that her husband has been detained by the Manipur authorities.
He was first arrested in 2018 for uploading a video on social media which spoke critically of the then Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
TV journalist Wangkhem was then also charged under the provisions of NSA and sedition, he was released in April 2019. After that, he was arrested in September 2020, for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on social media. He was released in December 2020. He had started hosting a talk show after that.
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