Journalist cross examined in Lungnila's murder case
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 25 2011:
Associate editor of ISTV News Network (Manipuri edition) was cross examined today in a court, in the trial for the kidnapping and subsequent murder in 2003 of eight year old Luningla Elizabeth, daughter of former minister Francis Ngajokpa.
Associate editor, Yumnam Rupachandra who is also special correspondent of The Statesman appeared in the court for the second time this month.
On February 2 he deposed regarding broadcasting an "uncensored" footage of a press conference in January 2004, related to the handing over by the banned UNLF of an accused person.
The cross examination was done after the CD, seized by the police from ISTV after its broadcast, was projected in a laptop computer before the court for one minute before the witness, Yumnam Rupachandra.
Rupachandra admitted that the CD projected was the same cassette which was recorded by S Naoba, cameraman of ISTV on January 6, 2004.He also identified the accused Romen Singh who was sitting in the dock.
When the counsel of the accused cross examined him, the associate editor said that he was not among the Meira Paibis when Romen was handed over to the police.
His press team was not allowed to meet the accused before the press meet of the UNLF was held.
He did not observe if there were any injuries on the accused when he was handed over by the UNLF to the Meira Paibis.
Further he had not enquired particulars of James Kuki who is the prime accused in the the CBI's charge sheet.
When the counsel of the accused argued that the voice and picture recorded can be altered by mechanical devices, Rupchandra said that there were no changes in the voice and picture recorded in the cassette.
He further told the court that he knew nothing about Romen giving a vivid description of the events regarding the alleged kidnapping and murder of Luningla Elizabeth.
The UNLF had handed over Ningombam Romen who admitted his involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Luningla Elizabeth whose decomposed dead body was found in a pond at Tera Sadokpam in Imphal West, eight days after she was kidnapped on the ransom demand of Rs.10 lakh.
The CBI, SCB, Kolkata took over the investigation of the case in May 2004 and later submitted a charge-sheet of the case and a trial hearing commenced.
Leikhosei Haokip alias James Kuki is the prime accused of the case as per the CBI charge-sheet while two other accused are now in jail and another one had committed suicide.
In an earlier appearance in the court, Rupachandra had admitted telecasting the footage uncensored on January 6, 2004 justifying that "At the relevant time it was a very important and sensitive case of Manipur, so it was very much needed to telecast the disclosure of Romen Meetei" .
The court postponed the hearing till March 24 in which the senior journalist was asked to appear in the court without fail.
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