SC ORDERED THE RELEASE OF ERENDRO LEICHOMBAM - DETAINED UNDER THE NSA FOR CRITICISING BJP LEADERS ADVOCATING COW URINE

The SC ordered the release of Erendro Leichombam, a Manipuri activist who was booked and detained under the National Security Act for a Facebook post criticising Bhartiya Janta Party leaders for advocating cow dung and urine as a cure to Covid 19. 

A Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah released Erendro and said that "he cannot be kept in jail, even for a day for such an act. We will order his release today."

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested the SC bench to hear the matter tomorrow, but the bench remained firm that it will release him today. "Continued detention would amount to a violation of life and personal liberty". Therefore, by way of interim relief, the bench directed his release. 

Erendro Leichombam has completed his post-graduation in public administration from Harvard University. He is a former associate of activist Irom Sharmila and has spoken a lot against militarisation and state repression. The present petition was moved by his father, L. Raghumani Singh argued that this was not a case of NSA and such arrest suffers malice in law.

The petitioner further stated that the Manipuri Activist had been detained only for criticizing the BJP leaders; it is a misuse of the detention law. The law is used to shut off political voices; this is not the purpose of the NSA. He has already spent 45 days for an innocent piece of speech.

Author: Papiha Ghoshal