The Supreme Court on Friday posted after two weeks a plea filed by the father of activist Erendro Leichombam seeking compensation for his son's detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) over a Facebook post that cow dung or cow urine will not cure COVID-19.
A Bench of Justice DY Chandrachud adjourned the matter for two weeks after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the Manipur government sought adjournment for three weeks.
Earlier, the apex court had sought a response from the Manipur government on the compensation issue saying "it's a serious matter".
"It is a serious matter. Someone has lost their liberty since May," Justice Chandrachud had remarked earlier.
Before that, the Apex Court had ordered the immediate release of Leichombam, booked under the NSA for a Facebook post criticising BJP leaders for advocating cow-dung and cow-urine as cures for COVID-19, within six hours.
The Bench then was informed that the detention order has been revoked and Leichombam was released in compliance of the court's order. The Solicitor General had urged the top court to put the matter to a rest, however, advocate Shadan Farasat appearing for Leichombam's father, who has filed by habeas corpus petition seeking his son's release, requested compensation for wrongful detention.
"Five cases were cited against me and no chargesheet was filed in any of the cases... some responsibility has to be fixed in the case as orders were passed in a cavalier manner," advocate Farasat arguing for Erendro had said.
Leichombam, who holds a postgraduate degree in public administration from Harvard University and is a former associate of activist Irom Sharmila, said his detention is a reprisal for his criticism against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for advocating cow-dung and cow-urine as cures for COVID-19.
His father L Raghumani Singh stated in the plea that this was not a case of invocation of NSA which was only invoked to defeat the bail granted to Erendro and suffers from malice in law.
It is a shocking instance of misuse of preventive detention law to stifle completely innocuous speech that is fully constitutionally protected and was made in the public interest, said the plea.
( With inputs from ANI )
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