Nikhil Singh, a Sub-Inspector of Manipur Police, has been suspended after he was filmed attacking TV reporter Rameshchandra Mangang of Impact TV. The incident occurred on Thursday while Mangang was covering an event in Imphal.
The suspension came after immense public backlash and condemnation from various quarters. Imphal East District Superintendent of Police, K. Meghachandra Singh, issued the suspension order on Saturday, describing the officer’s actions as “grave misconduct,” which is deemed unacceptable in the police force.
Pending a disciplinary inquiry, Nikhil Singh is confined to the Reserve Line at Porompat police station and will receive only a subsistence allowance during this period.
Journalists and civil society groups widely condemned the assault. The All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union and Editors’ Guild Manipur have called for the officer’s immediate termination. Journalists across Manipur have staged protests, demanding better protection for press freedom and calling for stricter measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
This incident highlights the ongoing tension between law enforcement and the press, raising concerns about the safety of journalists in the region.
