The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the immediate release of Manipur activist Erendro Leichombam, detained under the National Security Act, for a Facebook post stating cow dung and cow urine will not cure Covid-19 after the death of state BJP chief Prof Tikendra Singh.
"We can't allow detention of this person even for a day," a bench presided over Justice D Y Chandrachud after hearing advocate Shadan Farasat for L Raghumani Singh, father of the activist.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for his part, requested the court for hearing the matter on Tuesday.
The court, however, made it clear that it would pass the order for his release on Monday itself.
"He cannot be in jail overnight for this," the bench said.
"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 bench said in its order.
The court directed its Registrar Judicial to communicate the order to Manipur Central Jail for release of the activist before 5 pm on Monday.
The counsel for the petitioner submitted that he would press for compensation on the next hearing.
The petitioner contended that his son was detained under the NSA due to malice on May 17, the day he was granted bail for his Facebook post of May 13 wherein he reminded the BJP leaders that the cure for Covid-19 is science and not cow dung or cow urine.
(Published 19 July 2021, 07:43 IST)
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