NIA takes over probe into 2 Manipur scribes’ arrest
Bijoy Kakchingtabam (54) and Leimapokpam Shanjitkumar Singh (41) were arrested from Bishnupur Bazar near Ngaihong crossing along Tiddim Road on National Highway-2 on June 24 by the Manipur Police on the basis of inputs received from central intelligence agencies.
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over probe into the arrest of two Manipur-based journalists for their alleged involvement in the recruitment of underground cadre for banned outfit United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and sending them to Myanmar for training, people familiar with the development said.
Bijoy Kakchingtabam (54) and Leimapokpam Shanjitkumar Singh (41) were arrested from Bishnupur Bazar near Ngaihong crossing along Tiddim Road on National Highway-2 on June 24 by the Manipur Police on the basis of inputs received from central intelligence agencies.
Kakchingtabam, an associate editor of a local daily, was a former president of All Manipur Working Journalist Union (AMWJU). Singh, a reporter in a monthly Manipuri journal, is a sitting member of the standing committee of AMWJU.
“Initial investigations revealed that they were trying to recruit new cadre for UNLF in Manipur’s Bishnupur district and send them to Myanmar for training on the directions of Shakhen, who claims to be the publicity director of UNLF and operates from Myanmar,” said an officer from NIA, requesting anonymity.
Following their arrests, AMWJU issued a statement, saying: “The two members… have been suspended for a year with immediate effect as per the resolution of the standing committee meeting held on June 25.”
While ordering the NIA probe in the matter, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) on July 12 said: “The central government is of the opinion that a scheduled offence under the NIA act has been committed and having regard to the gravity of the offence, its cross-border linkage and ramifications on the national security, it is required to be investigated by the NIA.”
“After taking the custody of the two accused, the federal agency is interrogating them about UNLF’s plans and to ascertain if others based in Manipur are also involved in recruitment of cadres,” the NIA officer quoted above said.
Earlier, NIA had investigated the grenade attack outside the official bungalow of then Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla in Imphal on January 19 last year, carried out at the behest of UNLF commanders based in Myanmar.
UNLF is a banned organisation under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Even as the Union government is holding peace talks with most of the insurgent groups from the north-east, several commanders of outfits like UNLF have been hiding in Myanmar. UNLF chairperson Rajkumar Meghen was released from Guwahati Central Jail in November 2019 after serving a decade-long sentence.
