IMPHAL, February 16: Amidst the clamour after an assault on a senior correspondent, Paojel Chaoba alias Aribam Dhananjoy of Imphal Free Press, by some personnel of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) on February 10 around 11.30 pm, some miscreants has fired two rounds of bullets in front of his gate around 7.50 pm on Saturday.

The senior reporter told mediapersons at Manipur Press Club on Sunday that he was working in the IFP office at the time when the gunshots were fired, adding further that on the day of the assault the IRB personnel had also threatened to kill him if the matter was reported.

"The gunshots incident and the threat by the IRB personnel is not a mere co-incidence but inter-related as the miscreants after firing the gun shots fled in a four wheeler from the spot," he said in the press meet.

Meanwhile, AMWJU has condemned the incident in a press meet at the Manipur Press Club on Sunday evening.

AMWJU president Shyamjai Wangkhemcha said that the two rounds of bullets fired near the residence of Paojel Chaoba after the awful incident of the assault on the scribe on February 10 happened even after AMWJU has complained to the Imphal Police Station on the day of the incident and observed what the government is doing about the incident.

"Concerned authorities have assured that the accused has been suspended for misbehaving with the journalist but unfortunately there is no evident copy of the order of suspension.

The FIR filed against Havildar Majibur Rahman of IRB according to our lawyer is an ordinary one that is bailable."

"Till now, no positive steps have been taken by the government even after such a heinous crime has been conducted by IRB personnel towards a scribe of the state. The firing of two rounds of bullets near the residence of IFP scribe Chaoba is condemnable, and in such situation, AMWJU takes the matter seriously and suspects the IRB personnel. According to the change in situation, the government is hands in glove with the errant IRB personnel and wants to deprive the media persons in the state from justice," the AMWJU president said at the press meet.

He also stated that such incidents between media persons and state security forces has often happened in last many years and in some cases even the lives of scribes were lost. Terming it as unfortunate that no action has been taken against the accused police personnel, he said that till now there is no word from the Deputy Chief Minister even though AMWJU has informed him several time about the incident on the day after the incident itself.

AMWJU has decided to take the case at the Manipur High Court where advocate Rakesh Meihoubam, also a human rights activist will represent the scribe.

He further continued the gunshots were reported to the Imphal Police Station on Sunday morning adding that this matter must be taken seriously and AMWJU is calling a general body meeting to discuss the gun attack and assault on the scribe to make it a historic moment in the history of journalism in the state so that it doesn"™t repeat in the future.

Meanwhile, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) in a statement to the media has lodged strong protest against the brazen high-handedness of the security forces in Manipur. The largest and most representative union of working journalists in the country has expressed that it"™s aghast to learn from its affiliate, All Manipur Working Journalists Union, about the assault on its standing committee member and senior journalist A Choaba alias Dhananjoy Sharma on the night of February 10 in Imphal, by an IRB personnel.

The statement further stated that the assault is simply not acceptable in any civilised society and that IJU condemns the IRB's action in the strongest terms. It also said that it views the incident as an assault on the freedom of the press, which is under duress particularly in Manipur.

IJU also demanded that severest action be taken against the IRB personnel immediately and a stern warning be issued against any such future incidents. Additionally, the statement also demanded that the journalist must be duly compensated and the media in the state be assured safety and security.