Erendro Leichombam, a Manipur Based Activist to be Released Today Following SC Orders

Erendro was initially arrested three months ago under the draconian NSA over a Facebook post in which he wrote that: 'The cure for Corona is Not cow dung & cow urine'.

erendro
Image: EastMojo

Manipur-based political activist Erendro Leichombam, who was detained under the draconian National Security Act over a Facebook post will be released on Monday following the orders of the Supreme Court.

The SC bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, following the arguments put forth by the defense lawyer Shadan Farasat, has ordered to release him before 5 PM today on the execution of a bond of Rs. 1,000, Live Law reported.

Erendro was initially arrested on 13.05.2021 over a Facebook post which he wrote on the same day. In his post he had written that: ‘The cure for Corona is Not cow dung & cow urine. The cure is science & common sense Professor ji RIP’. The post was a sarcastic criticism directed towards BJP politicians who had been advocating unscientific cures for COVID19. The Facebook post had irked the local BJP leaders who went on to file an FIR against him which eventually led to his arrest.

When he was granted bail by a local court on 17.05.2021, the District Magistrate, Imphal West District on the very same day detained him under the stringent National Security Act 1980 (NSA).

Ordering his release three months after his arrest, the bench said that ‘we are of view that continued detention of the petitioner would amount to violation of rights to life and Liberty. We direct his release as an interim order of this court.’

The SC bench was hearing a petition moved by Erendro’s father L. Raghumani Singh who’s argued that this wasn’t a case of invocation of NSA which was only invoked to defeat the bail granted to Erendro and suffers from malice in law.

The petitioner argues that this is a classic case of malice in law, where the law of preventive detention has been used to shut-off political voices that the ruling party in the State of Manipur does not like, rather than for any valid purpose. This is not a purpose for which NSA permits preventive detention, making the order malafide and liable to be set aside, according to the petitioner, Live Law reported.

Also Read: Editors Guild statement on arrest of three Journalists in Manipur

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