IJU condemns Manipuri scribe's death in police firing

HYDERABAD, December 24: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) today expressed profound shock over the death of Manipuri journalist Thangjam Nanao Singh, allegedly in police firing, while covering the face-off between protesters and police over molestation of a local actress by a Naga militant.

In a statement issued here today, IJU President S N Sinha and Secretary General Devulpalli Amar expressed doubts over the official version and wondered how only the journalist wounded while not even a single alleged agitator injured in the police firing.

Thangjam Dwijamani Singh alias Nanao, a journalist with 'Prime Time' news channel who also contributed pictures to Doordarshan, was killed in the police firing yesterday while taking pictures during the strike at Thangmeiband area in Imphal West district over the molestation incident.

"We have our own apprehensions. We demand that a credible and independent inquiry should be held to find out the cause and circumstances leading to police firing and the resultant death of journalist.

We also demand that the police should immediately return the camera of Nanao Singh in which he had captured the happenings on the spot before he fell to the police bullet", they said, adding the snaps in the camera might lead to unravel the cause of the firing.

Sinha and Amar demanded that the family of Nanao Singh should be adequately compensated by the governments of India and Manipur.