PWF hence demands the immediate and unconditional release of Wangkhemcha Shamjai from police custody and due process of law is allowed to decide the case. This was stated in a media release by Pradip Phanjoubam, Vice Chairperson of PWF
Biswadeep Gupta
Paomee Welfare Foundation (PWF), a welfare trust for members of the All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU), is dismayed by the arrest of Wangkhemcha Shamjai, who is the current chairperson of PWF.
Shamjai was picked up by the police on Friday morning (Dec 29) from his residence on the strength of FIR no. 903(12)2023 IPS U/S-153/153-A/505(1)(b)/505(2) IPC, for an article published in Kangleipakki Meira, a vernacular evening daily, of which Shamjai is the chief editor.
The PWF thinks that if the said article questions the government’s role in the current ethnic crisis and has reported an incident that had not taken place, a defamatory lawsuit and not an arrest without trial should have been the resort so that due process of law is allowed to weigh his guilt or innocence before a penalty is awarded.
PWF hence demands the immediate and unconditional release of Wangkhemcha Shamjai from police custody and due process of law is allowed to decide the case. This was stated in a media release by Pradip Phanjoubam, Vice Chairperson of PWF.
