Imphal, Feb. 16 (IANS): Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD) advisor Thokchom Veewon was arrested under sedition charges by a joint team of Delhi and Manipur police on Friday, police said.
Imphal East district superintendent of police Megha Chandra said he was arrested in a joint operation with the Delhi Police. He is the second person to be arrested in Manipur under sedition charges.
Veewon would be brought to Imphal for necessary actions, Chandra said on Saturday .
He said the Manipur SP CID had conducted an inquiry against the student leader relating to charges of cyber crime. The report of the inquiry was sent to the Imphal East district police.
Consequently, a police team had gone to his house in Manipur on February 12. When he was not found there, the police asked his family to advise him to concentrate on his studies.
Veewon’s family members had told the police he was preparing for an examination in Delhi.
According to the SP, his messages on social media incited people and as such an FIR was registered against him under sedition charges.
Chandra said, “One message said ‘the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 will be passed and in such a situation people of Manipur may seek self determination’. Veewon also referred to the incident of ‘June 18, 2001 when the Manipur Assembly complex was burned’.”
Some months ago, Kishore Chandra, a news anchor in a local cable channel, was arrested under sedition charges for speaking out against a government function to mark the birth anniversary of Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, saying she had nothing to do with Manipur.
Though a district and sessions court ordered his release, the Manipur government arrested him from the court complex and detained him for one year under the National Security Act.
‘Arrest was made without any warrant’
Dimapur, Feb. 16 (EMN): Close on the heels of the upheaval over the central government’s (unsuccessful) attempt to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, another threat of fresh political storm continues to brew in the Northeast region.
This time, the origin of public fury is at the arrest of a student activist from Manipur who was recently arrested in Delhi on “sedition” charges.
On Saturday, the North East Students’ Organisation (Neso)—comprising the Khasi Students’ Union, All Assam Students’ Union, Naga Students’ Federation, M Zirlai Pawl, Twipra Students’ Federation, All Manipur Students’ Union, Gam Students’ Union, and All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union—issued a statement condemning the arrest of Thokchom Veewon, a former president of the Manipur Students’ Association Delhi, and presently an advisor to the All Manipur Students’ Association Delhi.
According to the statement, Veewon was arrested on Feb. 15 by a combined team of Manipur police and Delhi police from his rental home in South Delhi. “He was picked up on sedition charges. He has been vocal against Manipur journalist Kishore Chandra Wangkhem’s arrest under NSA and the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and had led protests in Delhi.
“Veewon was arrested without providing any reason and arrest warrant. It, very undemocratic the way in which the police physically assaulted him, beat him, slapped him, dragged him and didn’t even allow him to wear slippers while picking him up from his residence. They also robbed him of his laptop and mobile phone,” read the Neso statement.
The organisation claimed that the Manipur police had two days earlier threatened Veewon’s family not to let him engage in agitations. “He is currently kept at Janakpuri police station, is likely to be taken to Manipur.”
It cited Veewon’s Facebook post two days ago in which he had claimed that a police team comprising personnel from both Imphal West and East districts arrived at his house in Lamlaimayai Leikai of Imphal around 6 pm, “threatened” his parents, “searched” his room, “took pictures” of his parents.
The organisation expressed solidarity with the jailed leader; and demanded the government to stop gagging the voices of dissent.
In a separate statement, the Pan-Meitei Convention stated that the “disturbing fact” about the arrest was that the police team ‘arrested him without any arrest warrant or issue any arrest memo either.’
“The fact of the matter is even if Veewon had expressed his opinion which may not be in consonance with the established rules of the country, how can he be arrested without the due process of law. This is no less than abduction by the law enforcers.
“The actions of the police have caused a fear psychosis among the students community who have the right to question and discuss the various issues that have confronted the people. It sends out a sense of fear among the students who pursue their studies debating and researching the many issues that confront the people in general and the Northeast in particular. This is what education in a democracy is is all about,” read the statement.
It appealed to the government of India as well as Manipur to release the arrested person “without any condition.”
