Imphal: A Sub-Inspector of the Manipur police has been suspended following a violent assault on a local TV reporter.
The officer, Nikhil Singh, was caught on camera beating Rameshchandra Mangang, a reporter for Impact TV, while the journalist was covering an event in Imphal on Thursday.
Following massive public outrage and widespread condemnation, the Imphal East District Superintendent of Police, K. Meghachandra Singh, issued a notification on Saturday suspending the officer.
The order cited “grave misconduct” that was “not expected from a member of a disciplined force like the Police Department.”
Singh has been placed under suspension pending a disciplinary inquiry and has been restricted to the Reserve Line, Porompat police station. He will receive subsistence allowance during this period.
The incident has sparked outrage among journalists and civil society groups. The All Manipur Working Journalist’s Union and Editors’ Guild Manipur have strongly condemned the assault, demanding the officer’s immediate termination.
Journalists across the state have staged protests in solidarity with their colleague and calling for stricter measures to protect press freedom.