9 April, 2019: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU), the largest and most representative organisation of working journalists in the country has hailed the Manipur High Court order releasing journalist Kishorchandra Wangkhem, who is in jail since November 21.The division bench of the High Court, Justice Lanusungkum Jamir and Justice K H Nobin Singh quashed the order of the district magistrate of Imphal West for detaining Wangkhem under the National Security Act and ordered his immediate release. He is likely to be released in a day or two.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) President and Press Council of India (PCI) member Amar Devulapalli and Secretary General Sabina Inderjit welcomed the court order and said “Though the court took far too long – about four months to release him, it was heartening news as his detention was a gross misuse of NSA and simply unacceptable.The Manipur High Court vindicated our faith in the judiciary and upheld the freedom of speech and expression.”

Wangkhem was arrested on sedition charges on November 21 after he posted a video on Face Book criticising the Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Buthe was released by a district court saying that criticism against those in power did not amount to sedition. A vindictive state government arbitrarily detained him under the NSA. Wangkhem has been ill since March, and was admitted to the government owned Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal.