IMPHAL, April 3: Irom Chanu Sharmila who has been on a fast demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 will be on trial at the Patiala House Court, New Delhi.
According to a source, an official statement conveyed that she will be brought to trial at the court of Metropolitan Magistrate No. 6 at Room No. 4 of the Main Building of the Patiala House Court Complex of New Delhi.
The trial is in regard to a a case registered by the Delhi police after her arrest for holding a fast at the Jantar Mantar on Oct 5, 2006 demanding repeal of AFSPA.
The source further said that in connection with the case, Metropolitan Magistrate No.6 sent a written statement to begin trial set on April 24, 2013 but the statement of the court was addressed to Irom Chanu Sharmila who is an under-trial prisoner in the Delhi case instead of being addressed to the concerned Additional Director General of police (ADGP/Prisons) of Imphal Central Jail or the Superintendant of Prisons. As a result, it took some days when the official statement was delivered to the jail authority after Irom Chanu Sharmila herself received the summons.
The jail authority thensent an official letter at the Metropolitan Magistrate located at the Patiala House Court Complex saying that there is a necessity to take care of the health condition of Irom Chanu Sharmila who is detained in judicial custody under section 309 of code Indian Penal Code (IPC) by Porompat Police Station of Imphal East.
If she has to be taken to the Patiala House Court Complex, she should be flown in for which, a certificate of her health condition from the Health department of Manipur Government is necessary. Besides, a permission from the Civil Aviation Ministry is required.
It is learnt that an appeal was made to intimate in advance with the time to begin trial being fixed anew as obtaining of the said permissions takes time. Besides the said permission, the Home Department of Manipur Government should sanction expenditure required for the outward and return journey.
It may be mentioned that Irom Chanu Sharmila was flown to Delhi on March 3 and she physically appeared in court on March 4 following an earlier summon by the Metropolitan Magistrate No. 6. During her appearance on March 4, 2013, the court charged her of making an attempt to commit suicide and asked her whether there was any reason that she should not be punished under section 309 of IPC for making an attempt to commit suicide. But Sharmila declined the charge made by the court and said that her fast was not an attempt to commit suicide but a form of protest over the demand for the repeal of AFSPA, 1958 from the whole of Manipur. She told the court that she would withdraw her agitation if the Act is removed.
Now the reply to the letter sent to the Metropolitan Magistrate is being awaited. She will be taken to New Delhi for the trial after due permission is obtained from the Court of Judicial Magistrate 1st Class, Imphal East after the reply comes and all formalities are ready.