IMPHAL, December 19: Irom Chanu Sharmila was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West this afternoon in connection with Cril (P) Case No 129 of 2015 (The State of Manipur Vs Irom Chanu Sharmila).
Out of the 15 witnesses on behalf of Sharmila, one witness identified as Maisnam Jhaljit, 42, son of Maisnam Maipak of Hiyanglam, PO & PS Kakching, Thoubal District, deposed before the CJM Imphal West today.
Speaking to media persons after her court appearance, the anti-AFSPA crusader expressed disappointment with the manner statements of the witnesses including of herself have been recorded so far.
She said “By not taking food I am protesting to repeal the draconian Act AFSPA. As a human being I want to live. I love my life. If I wanted to die I could have done that a long time ago.”
“However they (police) don’t want to consider the point I am making and instead the manner they are questioning is more like as if they are only trying to prove the charge of ‘attempt to commit suicide’ levelled against me by the State government,” she said.
Replying to queries as to why she failed to appear before the Patiala Court in Delhi, Sharmila said she has no knowledge of why the government is not sending her for the court appearance.
She continued the last time she was being taken to the national capital for her court appearance, she and her team had to wait for more than 3 hours at the Delhi airport as the authorities had failed to take prior arrangement for her transport and since she was being taken as a prisoner, she cannot be taken in any hired private vehicle.
Sharmila said she was made to stay inside a lock-up while waiting for her court appearance.
“I was treated like a criminal. Why should someone who had come for a court appearance be made to stay in a lock-up,” she questioned the authorities’ arrangement.
Although the authorities were aware that she and her team will be arriving by flight which has a fixed timing, they were aware of her arrival time, but failed to make any prior arrangement for her transport, she lamented.
“If the judgement was to be done in the court of God, I would have won the case already,” she said disappointedly while appealing the people for support.
