The Duty Magistrate, Imphal West on Sunday released Huiyen Lanpao editor Maibam Dhanabir on bail by furnishing a PR bond Rs 50,000 with like amount surety.
The editor was arrested on Friday and was remanded in three-day police custody till Sunday, in connection with an FIR registered against him “for promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, wrongful communication of information under Official Secrets Act, 1923.”
The investigating officer of the case submitted that on January 4, in the front page of Huiyen Lanpao newspaper published a news item which mentions that “the special commandos at Moreh requested to issue 50,000 ammunition to perform their duty smoothly.”
It was submitted that the column further disclosed all the secret details of the requisition made, including the different numbers of ammunition required for. Publishing such information by receiving the secrets voluntarily at this critical time and communicating all the details to the militants who may have also been based in Myanmar and other countries directly compromise the security and sovereignty of the state.
It was further submitted that such a news item may induce any section of public to commit an offence against the state or against the public tranquillity, and the investigating officer of the case prayed for judicial remand.
The counsel of the editor argued the investigating officer’s submission and prayed for Dhanabir’s release on bail .The court, after hearing the submission, granted bail to the editor.
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