IMPHAL, Jun 14: Anti-AFSPA crusader Irom Chanu Sharmila today denied the charges labelled against her by the police during the offence explanation hearing of the case taken up under Section 309 IPC (attempting to commit suicide).
During today’s hearing held before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West, Sharmila said that she has been simply exercising her right as a citizen of India to repeal draconian AFSPA from the State.
Sharmila was brought from the security ward of JNIMS hospital to the Court for the hearing of the case taken up under Section 251 CrPC under the Cril (P) case number 28 of 2016 with reference to FIR No 31 (3) 2016 of City police station under Section 309.
The Court order mentioned that the substance of the accusation against her is that since 5.10 pm of February 29, 2016, she has been refusing to eat anything demanding repeal of AFSPA.
In her submission, Shar-mila said that she had been detained on the same charge on different occasions in the past as well.
However, the Courts released her stating that her fast as a means of protest is not an attempt to commit suicide, Sharmila said.
As such, she said, she does not understand why police keep on booking her on the same charge.
Speaking to reporters as she came out from the Court room, Sharmila expressed her desire to see a conclusion to her movement through a people’s uprising.
Regarding Section 309 charged against her, Sharmila said that Patiala House Court, New Delhi had also acquitted her on the same charge.
Saying that she has been campaigning for the masses these long years, Sharmila said that people need to act now to get AFSPA repealed.
