Taking exception from other media houses, The Frontier Manipur did not incorporate banning of poppy cultivation in its report though it was widely circulated on social media platforms as the claim could not be substantiated and could mislead the readers
TFM Kangpokpi Representative
The family members of the Naphai village chief, who was brutally killed by unknown armed miscreants on June 6 midnight, refuted the media reports linking the murder with banning the poppy cultivation.
Strongly censoring the media reports, the deceased family called the reports ‘inappropriate and defamatory’.
Thanggin Khongsai, the eldest son of the deceased village chief said, “The killing of my father Zilhem Khongsai has been misleadingly reported by some media by twisting my heartbroken mother’s statement to suit narrow interests as if she (my mother) laid the blame on banning poppy cultivation for the murder.”
He alleged that it was a concocted report made by some propaganda media, which is highly inappropriate and defamatory in nature.
He said, “When my mother was asked about any suspicion leading to the killing, she merely told the media that her husband was part of the meeting called by the local MLA in May that pledged to support the state government’s ‘War on Drugs’ who later apprised the villagers and village authority about the outcome of the meeting.”
However, some media twisted her statement to suit narrow interests and reported it as if imposing the ban on poppy cultivation was the reason behind the brutal killing, he added.
“Such misleading reports are truly upsetting and traumatizing, to say the least,” he further added.
While the Naphai Village Authority and the deceased family strongly condemned the alleged misleading report in the strongest terms, it demanded a clarification from concerned media houses sooner than later.
Taking exception from other media houses, The Frontier Manipur did not incorporate banning of poppy cultivation in its report though it was widely circulated on social media platforms as the claim could not be substantiated and could mislead the readers.
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Informing that the case has been transferred to the competent authorities who are currently investigating the matter, the Naphai Village Authority and the deceased family urged individual or organization, especially, the media not to indulge in unfounded reports regarding the case until the investigation is completed and the culprits apprehended.
Meanwhile, KNO/KRA and KLO/KLA, signatories of the Suspension of Operations and the tripartite talks with the Governments operating in the Saikul area warned the culprits involved in the brutal killing of the Naphai village chief to surrender before 5:00 pm on June 10.
The body of the village chief is lying unclaimed at the RIMS morgue as the family and the village authority decided not to claim the body until the culprits are booked or surrendered themselves.