Supreme Court extends arrest shield for Manipur activist by 2 weeks

Loon Gangte, the president of Delhi Network of Positive People, was booked for a speech delivered on July 28

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday extended by two weeks the arrest shield granted to a social activist Henminlun alias Loon Gangte who was booked for alleged hate speech in July to enable him to approach the Manipur high court against the first information report (FIR) registered against him.

The Supreme Court allowed Henminlun alias Loon Gangte to appear via video conference before the Manipur high court (Sonu Mehta/HT File Photo)

The top court also told the high court to allow the professor to appear online via video conference or through a lawyer.

A bench headed by chief justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud said, “We are of the view that the petitioner be relegated to pursue the proceedings before the high court.”

Gangte, the president of Delhi Network of Positive People, a group representing people living with HIV/AIDS, was booked for a speech made on July 28 under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and section 505 (public mischief) among other provisions of the Indian penal code (IPC).

Senior lawyer Anand Grover told the bench that Gangte was unable to find local lawyers from his community in Imphal and told the court that even legal aid lawyers were charging high fees.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta appearing for the Manipur government told the court that the allegations of the petitioner that he failed to get a lawyer were false and that Grover had been appearing in cases before the high court through videoconferencing.

The court extended the protection from arrest first granted on September 12 by two weeks to enable the petitioner to approach the high court and directed that a legal aid lawyer be provided free of cost, if he so desired.

Grover said that due to poor internet connection, e-filing of documents was not possible, a complaint that the state denied. The court directed the state to ensure the online facility is provided in the high court and allowed the petitioner to approach the registrar general in case of any grievance.