[NSA Detention] Erendro Leichombam habitual offender, there was no custodial torture: Manipur govt opposes plea for compensation

The Manipur government has opposed the plea by father of of activist Leichombam Erendro seeking compensation for his son's wrongful detention under the National Security Act (NSA) for a Facebook post criticising use of Cow dung as COVID cure (L Raghumani Singh v. District Magistrate, Imphal West District, Manipur)..In an affidavit filed before the top court, the State government said that Erendro is a habitual offender and that his arrest was needed to prevent him from abusing his position as a political activist.The government had on July 19 withdrawn the order invoking National Security Act against Erendro after the Supreme Court Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah took exception to his detention."He cannot be kept in jail even for a day. We will order his release today," the Supreme Court had said.He was later released. Advocate Shadan Farasat appearing for the father of the activist, had pressed for compensation for his wrongful detention to which the Court had sought the government's response. .NSA charges against activist Erendro Leichombam revoked, Supreme Court seeks response of Manipur government on issue of compensation.The short affidavit filed in the Supreme Court stated the statement by the activist was "insulting, disrespecting, provoking and has the potential to incite hatred.".The State also submitted that Erendro was not subjected to any custodial violence or torture and that his detention was made in good faith..It was also claimed by the State that Erendro is a habitual offender since he has four pending FIRs against him which are being probed into. .The activist was detained since May 13 for a social media post on the inefficacy of cow dung and urine against Coronavirus after State BJP president Prof Tikendra Singh succumbed to Covid-19.The plea filed in Supreme Court by his father L Raghumani Singh stated that the detention of the activist is a reprisal for his criticism against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for advocating cow-dung and cow-urine as cures for COVID-19."Erendro, a Manipuri political activist, has been preventively detained solely to punish him for his criticism of Bhartiya Janta Party (“BJP”) leaders for advocating cow-dung and cow-urine as cures for COVID," the petition said.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 public interest, the petition further stated.It was also submitted that the detention of the activist was in contempt of the April 30, 2021 order of the Supreme Court in the suo motu case of COVID-19 in which a Bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud had observed that no one should be punished for critiquing COVID-19 policies over social media.