Sharmila’s suicide intent cannot be established, says court
Civil Rights Activist Irome Sharmila
Guwahati:The district and session court of Imphal in Manipur on Tuesday ordered the release of civil rights activist Irom Sharmila Chanu from judicial custody. The court stated that intent to commit suicide cannot be established in the case against her and thus she cannot be kept under arrest. However, the Manipur government is free to challenge the order in a higher court.
The civil rights activist has been languishing in the judicial custody for 14 years. Every time Ms Sharmila was released by the court, she was re-arrested. The last time she was arrested was on March 15, 2014.
Ms Sharmila started her hunger strike in November 2000 after the killing of 10 civilians in an encounter with militants at Malom near Imphal airport. Ms Sharmila had clarified that she would end her hunger strike if Armed Forces (Special Power) Act is revoked.
The AFSPA, which was passed by Parliament in 1990, gives the armed forces powers to shoot at sight, arrest anybody wit-hout warrant or carry out searches without permission in states such as Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland and Manipur that have been declared “disturbed areas.” It also insulates the security forces from trial in civil courts.
Keeping in view of her ill health, Ms Sharmila is currently lodged in a special ward of the Jawa-harlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imp-hal. Her room in the hospital has been declared as sub-jail. She was being force fed through nasal tube for past 14 years.
Recently Ms Sharmila and other civil rights activists of Manipur had decided to approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in scrapping the AFSPA, following the BJP’s promise during the recent polls.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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