A plea has been filed within the Supreme Court difficult the preventive detention of a Manipur-based political activist beneath the National Security Act (NSA), alleging that it has been performed “solely to punish him” for his criticism of BJP leaders purportedly advocating cow dung and cow urine as cures for COVID-19.
The plea, filed by father of political activist Leichombam Erendro, claimed that his son had on May 13 posted on Facebook that remedy for coronavirus shouldn’t be cow’s dung and urine.
“The statement was made in the context of the death of the President of the Manipur BJP due to COVID-19, as a criticism of the unscientific position taken and misinformation being spread by several BJP politicians regarding cow urine and cow dung being effective in preventing/treating COVID-19,” the plea mentioned, including that the publish was deleted quickly after being posted on May 13 itself.
The petition, filed by way of advocate Shadan Farasat, has alleged that for this criticism Erendro has spent some days in custody pursuant to prison instances initiated towards him and thereafter in preventive detention after grant of bail.
“The present case is a shocking instance of misuse of preventive detention law to stifle completely innocuous speech that is fully constitutionally protected and was made in public interest – Erendro, a Manipuri political activist, has been preventively detained solely to punish him for his criticism of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for advocating cow dung and cow urine as cures for COVID-19,” the plea has alleged.
It has sought quashing of May 17 detention order and the grounds of detention issued by District Magistrate, Imphal West District.
The plea has additionally sought course to the involved authorities to set Erendro, who’s the co-convenor of political outfit Peoples’ Resurgence and Justice Alliance, at liberty forthwith.
It mentioned that applicable compensation, together with price of litigation, must be awarded to the petitioner and his son for the alleged unlawful detention that Erendro has suffered.
The plea has claimed that his detention is in violation of the apex courtroom’s April 30 order and a separate contempt petition has additionally been filed within the prime courtroom.
On April 30, the apex courtroom, whereas listening to the suo motu case on distribution of important provides and providers through the pandemic, had warned authorities — from the Centre all the way down to the police chiefs — towards silencing folks and their pleas for assistance on the presumption that they’re elevating false grievances on the web.
The prime courtroom had made clear that any try and clampdown on free stream of data on social media together with the decision for assist from folks can be handled because the contempt of courtroom.
The plea mentioned that 4 FIRs have been registered towards Erendro by Manipur Police.
It mentioned Erendro was arrested on May 13 itself and was remanded to police custody until May 17, the date on which his bail software was to be listed for consideration earlier than the trial courtroom.
It alleged that in anticipation of the trial courtroom’s consideration of the matter and “knowing fully well about the completely flimsy nature of the criminal proceedings”, the district Justice of the Peace handed an order for preventive detention beneath the NSA to “render infructuous the bail” to be granted by the courtroom.
The plea mentioned Erendro was granted bail however was not launched as a result of detention order.
