RELEASE LEICHOMBAM ERENDRO 5 PM, HIS CONTINUED DETENTION IS A VIOLATION OF RIGHTS UNDER ARTICLE 21.
Last Updated on July 19, 2021 by Administrator
–JUSTICE CHANDRACHUD
By Neha Virmani
LeichombamErendro a 40-year-old, activist from Manipur was arrested on May 13, 2021, under the National Security Act over his post on Facebook which stated that “The cure for corona is not cow dung and cow urine” while referring death of State BJP chief SaikhomTikendra Singh due to covid.
Today on July 19, 2021 father of activist L Ragumani Singh, filed a petition in SC through his counsel Advocate ShadanFarasat, which stated that “the invocation of NSA on his son’s case was a misuse of preventive detention law to stifle the innocuous speech that is fully protected by the constitution and was made in public interest” and challenged the preventive detention of the Activist under NSA alleged that it has been done solely to punish him.”
Further, the counsel argued through plea that Erendro’s detention is a violation of the Supreme Court’s order of April, 30 2021 which stated that “clamping down of information regarding coronavirus pandemic on social media by the authorities will be regarded as contempt of court.”
The court with the bench of Justice D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah after hearing the petition asked for the immediate release of the activist and stated that “his continued detention would violate the right under Article 21 of the constitution.”
Hence, the Apex Court directed to immediately communicate the order to the said Authorities of Manipur Jail so that they can enable the Release of activist by 5PM.
