The Manipur High Court has now admitted a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the International Meeteis Forum (IMF) that seeks to “quash” the fact-finding report published by the Editors’ Guild of India on the ethnic violence in the State. The PIL also requested for directions barring the use of the said report by any authority or agency looking into the conflict, alleging a nexus between the EGI and “narco-terrorist groups”.
A Bench of Acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidaran and Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh on Thursday admitted the PIL and issued notices to all respondents, posting the matter for next hearing on October 12. The EGI and its members have been given four weeks to file their response even as the Deputy Solicitor General accepted the notices on behalf of the Union and State governments.
The IMF, which has filed various PILs in the Manipur High Court since the ethnic conflict began on May 3, in its most recent one, has marked the Centre, the State government, the Editors’ Guild of India, the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and the three members of EGI who visited the State for their report.
