Manipur FIRs: SC shields Editors Guild members from coercive action

The Supreme Court has protected four members of the Editors Guild of India against any coercive action till Monday (September 11) in connection with two FIRs lodged against them in Manipur for offences including promoting enmity between two communities.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also sought response of the state government on the plea filed by the Editors Guild and fixed the matter on September 11. Earlier, the top court agreed to hear the plea on Wednesday (September 6) itself.

Case history

On September 4, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had said a police case had been filed based on a complaint against the president and three members of the Editors Guild of India and accused them of trying to “provoke clashes” in the state.

A second FIR was also registered against the four Guild members, with additional charge of defamation.

The Guild, in a report published on Saturday, slammed the Internet ban in the state as being detrimental to media reportage, criticised what it termed as “one-sided reporting” by some media outlets, and claimed there were indications that the state leadership “had turned partisan” during the conflict period.

(With agency inputs)