Manipur Police books several people for criticism of handling COVID-19 crisis

Imphal (Manipur) [India], April 30 : Public criticism of the government's handling of the COVID-19 outbreak has landed several persons in trouble with the law in Manipur.
As per official records, the Manipur police have invoked sections of the Disaster Management Act (DMA) and Indian Penal Code to press charges against several people.
In the crackdown during lockdown period so far, 3894 persons have been arrested, 3260 vehicles have been seized, 27 FIRs have been registered and 423 non-FIR cases were taken up. Fine amount of Rs 2,07,550 has been collected.
One of those booked under the DMA in the first week of April was Yumnam Devjit, for allegedly a voice message in which he urged people not to obey the Prime Minister's call for lights-out at homes.
Later, Devjit's father and Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar was relieved of all portfolios.
K Meghachandra, Imphal West Superintendent of Police, told ANI that the case against Devjit was "for spreading false information".
"His post can create panic. He was charged among others under DMA," he said.
In Imphal, two activists of the Youth's Forum for Protection of Human Rights -- Takhenchangbam Shadishkanta and Khangjrakpam Phajaton were charged under sections of the DMA after the organisation issued a press note, questioning the location of a proposed quarantine facility by the Manipur government.
The organisation said that it would affect tenant farmers and suggested a disused airfield as an alternate location. The two activists were released on bonds later.
In Imphal East, one Jotin Meitei Wakambam, a 27-year-old private school teacher, and five others were arrested and booked for sedition among other charges after Wakambam, in a Facebook post, said he could not remember the name of his local MLA.
They were released on bail after two days by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Imphal East who said that the charges were not relevant to the Facebook post by Wakambam.
At least two other persons were questioned for Facebook posts on the government's handling of the Covid situation. Both said they apologised and deleted their posts.
What has coincided with the police crackdown on those criticising the government is a sedition case filed this month against a JNU research scholar Mohammad Chingiz Khan and Gauhati University assistant professor Mohammad Imtiyaj Khan after a translation of an opinion article on Manipuri Muslims that they had written a year ago was published in a local newspaper.
"Chingis Khan was booked for sedition for his article which appeared in a local vernacular. His article is very inflammatory. It has the potential to incite communal disharmony between communities. The article was published at a time when there was a controversy over the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in New Delhi," Meghachandra said.
These arrests add to a long list of previous such instances in Manipur.
In April last year, Kishorchandra Wangkhem (39), walked free after being detained for four-and-a-half months under the National Security Act (NSA) for alleged derogatory comments against the state government in the state and the Chief Minister Biren Singh.