Patricia Mukhim to approach SC to challenge criminal case against her for Facebook Post about attacks on non-tribals

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya High Court on Tuesday refused to quash a criminal case lodged against veteran journalist Patricia Mukhim for her Facebook post about continued attacks against non-tribals in the state.

Talking to Inside Northeast, Mukhim says that her legal team is preparing to approach the Supreme Court of India.

"I only said that these types of targetted attacks should stop. It is indeed baffling that nobody has been arrested and no convictions have taken place so far. All I was asking was for the rule of law to be properly followed and that the guilty should be punished. All the criminal elements are emboldened when they get a free pass. I asked the state government to take legal action in this regard. I made the statement as a concerned citizen and not as a journalist," she said.

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In the post in question, made against the backdrop of furor over a skirmish between tribals and non-tribals at Lawsohtun the senior journalist stated that since the attackers have not been attacked since 1979, Meghalaya is a "failed state."

After compaints were raised about the allegedly controversial post, the police registered a criminal case under Section 153A/500/505C IPC against her and also issued a notice under Section 41 A Cr.P.C. In response to this, approached the High Court by filing a petition under Section 482 CrPC.
Mukhim had contended that she had only expressed her concerns regarding the handling of the case by the police and the Dorbar Shnong and has only expressed hope that justice would be dealt in this particular instance.

Justice W. Diengdoh. however, observed that the Facebook post sought to create a divide to the relationship between the tribals and non-tribals in the State.

"The author has gone on to assuage the feelings of the non-tribals by posing a question as to why they should live in perpetual fear in their own State when they have a right to call Meghalaya their state as the indigenous tribal does. Again, on going through the said Facebook post and as observed above, what can be deduced is that there is an attempt to make a comparison between tribals and non-tribals vis-à-vis their rights and security and the alleged tipping of the balance in favour of one community over the other."

Last year, the High Court had convicted Patricia Mukhim for contempt for her article in "Shillong Times" under the caption "When Judges judge for themselves."

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