Imphal: Unidentified armed men fired shots at and brutally assaulted a senior editor of a daily Manipuri vernacular newspaper near the Hatta Cemetery in Imphal East district late on Wednesday night, police said on Thursday.
The assailants, who were in a car, chased the four-wheeler driven by Khoirom Loyalakpa, editor of Naharolgi Thoudang. They fired two rounds at his vehicle before forcing him to stop and then confronted and assaulted him at gunpoint.
According to reports, the attackers fled the scene when locals rushed to the site upon hearing the gunshots. Loyalakpa was immediately rushed to the state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal East district, where he received medical treatment.
While the identities and motives of the attackers remain unknown, a case has been registered at Porompat Police Station to identify and arrest the perpetrators. Notably, Khoirom Loyalakpa is also the president of Hockey Manipur.
Wednesday’s incident marks the second attack on the editor in less than two years. On July 16, 2024, armed men fired shots at the residence of Khoirom Loyalakpa in Kontha Khabam Lai Haraobam, Imphal East, at around 12:20 AM.
The All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and Editors’ Guild Manipur (EGM) strongly condemned the attack. In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the two apex media bodies described the incident as a blatant assault on press freedom and a serious threat to the safety and security of journalists performing their professional duties.
They asserted that any form of intimidation, coercion, or violence against media persons is unacceptable in a democratic society and must not be tolerated under any circumstances. The AMWJU and EGM urged the Manipur Police and relevant authorities to launch an immediate, thorough investigation, identify those responsible, and take swift legal action to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Appealing for restraint, the organisations also called upon all sections of society to resolve grievances or differences with journalists and media houses through dialogue and democratic means, rather than resorting to violence.
These attacks occur against a backdrop of increasing threats to media freedom in India, with reports highlighting risks to independent journalists, particularly in conflict-affected regions. The incident is currently being investigated as an attempted murder.
