The Human Rights Council Manipur (HRCM) has urged the intervention and inquiry by the state authority in consultation with the Manipur High Court for clearing the doubts of the public concerning the polarizing opinions on the transfer of MPS Th Brinda.
There have been many unwanted Facebook posts through social media after three weeks’ interim bail was granted to an accused relating to a drug case by the court (ND&PS), Manipur on May 21, the HRCM said in a release. Without the full knowledge of the hearing in the court room on that particular day, everyone has been criticizing the order of the court through social media by using slang words, it stated. Insulting the judiciary through social media is highly condemnable, it added.
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Everyone is bound by the rule of law and more particularly public officers public officers/servants cannot go beyond the bounds of law, it stated. Every citizen of the country has right to express under the Indian Constitution but certain limitations are also there in the Constitution, it added.
The Judiciary is an independent institution and cannot interfere by the legislatures or executives, the release stated, adding that any order or ruling passed by the court of law cannot be justified by the public on social media or any other platform except to approach the higher court.
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Whatever reliefs or demands of the public concerned has right to approach the court through proper channel, the release stated. To respect the court is not to the judge sitting over there but the chair of the court and to maintain the decorum of the court is the duty of every citizen, it added.
The HRCM also asked why most of the Investigating Officers(IOs) of the drug-related cases have not submitted the charge sheet to the concerned court within the stipulated/statutory period given under CrPC. It further questioned why most of the public prosecutors did not ask the IOs to submit the charge sheet in time to the court. It is a reasonable question to all concerned that if any high profile/financially sound/influential party/accused has the capacity to control the authorities concerned for not submitting the charge sheet in time before the Court, it said.
It is right time for intervention by the Manipur High Court to demand reports from the IOs through public prosecutors, asking the reasons for not filing the charge sheet of drug-related cases in time before the court, it added.
Instead of taking law into one’s hand, appeal and approach to the concerned authority/forum is the right way of a bonafide citizen, the release stated. Simply campaigning or criticizing any order of the court through social media cannot bring justice, it added.
Meanwhile, the Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL) has accused the All Manipur Judicial Officer’s Association (AMJOA) of attempting to tarnish the image of MPS Thounaojam Brinda by filing a case against her with the cybercrime unit of the Manipur Police for her social media posts. The KKL stated in a release that if the Judicial officers are concerned about protecting the integrity of the Judicial Institution of Manipur then they ought to realize that three sessions judges in Tamil Nadu were removed from office on charges of corruption and a judge of the Allahabad High Court removed while one sitting Judge of the Calcutta High Court was also jailed.
“We stand behind Brinda in her crusade against the ever growing drug menace and we know that she is not corrupt which we cannot say the same about our judicial officers. We will also bring this to the notice of the Supreme Court of India should the need arise,” the KKL stated in a release.
The Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD) has also urged the people of Manipur “to stand united and fight against the threat of losing the society from drug menace.” It says in a release that it takes no time for the state government to intimate, arrest and imprison dissenters, it stated. However, government gives free hand and let go when it comes to drug smugglers and peddlers, the release added.
Urging the people of the state to be more cautious against those who are on to destroy the society, MSAD appeal to all to come together and make a collective effort to uproot the menace of drugs before it is too late, it added.
