The Supreme Court on Monday ordered for the release of Manipuri activist Erendro Leichombam, on or before 5 p.m. Monday. Leichombam was booked under the National Security Act (NSA) for a Facebook post criticising BJP leaders for advocating cow dung and cow urine as cure for Covid.
A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said a person cannot be kept in jail even for a day for such an act. Justice Chandrachud said: "He cannot be kept in jail even for a day. We will order his release today".
The bench said: "We are of the view that continued detention of the petitioner would be a violation of right to life and personal liberty under Article 21. We accordingly direct that the petitioner shall be released forthwith subject to interim directions of this court and subject to further orders".
Leichombam was initially arrested on May 13 for his Facebook post on the complaint of BJP leaders. On May 17, the day he was granted bail by the local court, the district magistrate Imphal West District, detained him under the stringent NSA, which is a preventive detention law. The plea said he has already spent 45 days in custody for an "innocuous piece of speech".
With inputs from IANS.
