SC protects ex-Army officer, professor against coercive action in two FIRs lodged in Manipur

NEW DELHI,

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday granted protection from any coercive action to a retired colonel against whom an FIR was lodged by the Manipur Police allegedly on the basis of the contents of his book published in January 2022. The top court also protected a professor against possible coercive action in connection with another FIR lodged on the basis of his alleged speech made in public. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions that no lawyers were willing to take up their cases and appear in the Manipur High Court.

“Issue notice. We are going to ask you to file an affidavit that there is no lawyer who is willing to appear for you in the High Court of Manipur...No coercive steps shall be taken against petitioner till next date of hearing,” the bench said.

It asked Vijaykant Chenji, former Army officer, and professor Henminlun, who have filed separate pleas seeking protection and the quashing of the FIRs lodged against them in Manipur, to file affidavits to the effect that lawyers were unwilling to appear for them in the Manipur High Court.

23 MLAs sign resolution to protect territorial integrity of State: Twenty three MLAs in the ruling BJP-led Government in Manipur have signed a resolution, pledging to protect the territorial integrity of the strife-torn State. The MLAs also resolved that they would soon proceed to Delhi to persuade the central leadership to bring a solution to the present crisis at the earliest. Interestingly, Chief Minister N Biren Singh was not among the signatories. The signatories, after a meeting with members of newly formed civil society organisation Youth of Manipur at the CM’s secretariat on Monday night, stated that the Kuki Zo community’s demand for a separate administration was not acceptable to them.