The MCPCR chairperson had defamed the Manipur government saying that salaries for them were paid in a lump sum. She also violated the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s service reformed by appointing her husband as a consultant of the MCPRC. Besides, she cheated the people by showing two different copies for the engagement of her husband as a consultant.
In the court of law, several provisions empower the court to punish any citizens for providing false information, fabricated stories, or any misleading declaration.
The law of the land applies to all citizens whether he or she serves as the top post in the government or is just a simple common person living on hand to mouth. Even media are sued/ threatened for defamatory cases charging or alleging baseless /fabricated stories published that might malign or hurt the sentiment of an individual or group of individuals. An individual has every right to clarify on news report published against him or her, but should approached to the same media house that published the story. It is his or her rights to go either to Press Council of India or to other media houses if the said media house refuses to provide space for clarifications. This is as per the local adjustment framed by journalist fraternity working in the state. Violation of the local adjustment may affect the unity of the media fraternity of the state. This is because the media houses in Manipur had experienced certain difficulties while rendering their service for the society.
This column is to draw the kind attention of the All Manipur Working Journalist Union (AMWJU) and Editor Guild’s Manipur (EGM) regarding a publication of a clarification story by the chairperson of MCPRC Sumatibala, which even indicate an intention to malign the image of this newspaper, published and broadcasted by some media houses.
When the MCPCR conducted a press conference to clarify a news report appeared in Imphal Times under the heading “Husband appointed as a consultant by MCPCR Chairperson gets Rs. 9,10,000/- as hiring charge for his vehicles”, almost all media houses were invited except Imphal Times which she was supposed to clarify. And the news was carried at some newspaper including a highly circulated Manipuri language daily and a cable TV network. These media never take a look at what has been reported in Imphal Times is true or not but simply published a story that the Chairperson had stated.
To be frank whatever Imphal Published in connection with the financial mismanagement or irregularities at MCPCR is based on the document procured through the Right to Information Act. The Chairperson lied about the payment of vehicle hiring charges to her husband and was published or broadcasted at some newspapers and Cable TV.
Here, this newspaper would like to remind those media as well as the Cable TV that under section 218 of the Indian Penal Code it is stated that “Whoever, being a public servant, and being as such public servant, charged with the preparation of any record or other writing, frames that record or writing in a manner which he knows to be incorrect, with intent to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, loss or injury to the public or any person, or with intent thereby to save, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby save, any person from legal punishment, or with intent to save, or knowing that he is likely thereby to save, any property from forfeiture or another charge to which it is liable by law, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both”.
In Section 196 of the IPC, it is also stated that, “Whoever corruptly uses or attempts to use as true or genuine evidence any evidence which he knows to be false or fabricated, shall be punished in the same manner as if he gave or fabricated false evidence. And in section 200 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) it is stated that, “Whoever corruptly uses or attempts to use as true any such declaration, knowing the same to be false in any material point, shall be punished in the same manner as if he gave false evidence”.
The provision provided here is enough to take legal action against the MCPCR for giving false information to the media. As for those media that carries the one-sided story, let the matter be the first check by talking to the media that somebody is blaming.
( Note: The MCPCR Chairperson had not invited Imphal Times while organising the press conference for clarification of a news that was published in Imphal Times)
