Imphal: Manipur police Friday arrested two senior journalists of the state while they were allegedly trying to recruit new members of a top militant outfit.
Bijoy Kakchingtam, 54, former president of the All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) and AMWJU standing committee member Leimapokpam Shanjitkumar Singh , 41, were arrested by a team of Bishnupur district police when they were trying to recruit new cadres for the proscribed outfit, UNLF from Bishnupur area and send them to Myanmar, police claimed.
Bijoy of Khongman West and Shanjitkumar of Singjamei Oinam Thingel of Imphal West, who allegedly worked under command of one Shakhen, UNLF’s publicity director of the outfit presently staying in Myanmar, were intercepted from Bishnupur bazar near Ngaikhong crossing along Tiddim Road on Friday, police said.
The police further said the two have revealed that they came to Bishnupur under the telephonic (Whatsapp) instruction of Shakhen to recruit new cadres from the Bishnupur area and to send them to Myanmar. They were arrested based on inputs received from sister agency and NIA, and under the overall supervision of Bishnupur SP, police added.
Three mobile phones (two MI & one Samsung) and one Verna Car black in colour bearing regd. No. MNO6LA7696 were seized from them, the police said. The arrested persons along with the seized article are handed over to BPR PS for taking further necessary legal action, they added.
The arrested persons were sent to seven-day police remand.
Meanwhile, Manipur’s top journalists body, AMWJU, has suspended Bijoy Kakchingtabam, and Leimapokpam Shanjitkumar, who currently work for the Poknapham Daily and Eikhoigee Panthung, a monthly magazine, respectively for one year with immediate effect for ‘lowering the dignity of journalism profession’.
During the period of suspension, they all lose all rights and privileges of being members of AMWJU, it added.
