Rights group, 3.5 Collective has alleged the Manipur government of failing to respond to a petition seeking drug users to be treated as victims of the drugs trafficking, and to file their appeal against the acquittal of former chairperson of the Chandel Autonomous District Council Lhukhosai Zou and others before the High Court of Manipur.
The matter came up on Wednesday before the Supreme Court in Court no. 17, as item no. 42 before the division bench consisting of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and PB Varale in the Special Leave Petition, (Criminal) number 3010-3011 of 2022 (SLP), stated a release.
The petition was filed by member of The 3.5 Collective, challenging the acquittal of former Chairperson of the Chandel Autonomous District Council Lhukhosei Zou and others by the Special NDPS Court as well as the High Court of Manipur’s judgment denying the Collective and particularly the members who had personally suffered due to the prevalence of drug trafficking in the region, i.e., recovering addicts and family members of the recovered addicts; to file an appeal against the judgment of the NDPS Court, it stated.
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3.5 Collective co-covennor Maibam Jogesh, who is also the petitioner no. 1 of the SLP filed an affidavit to the court, detailing his own personal experience of how he started using substances at an early age; how he suffered irreparable loss during his youth; how he struggled against the menace all through his life; how he is helping other users to alleviate from their suffering and how he is helping the Government of Manipur formulate a Drug Policy, it mentioned.
It further stated how his affidavit also highlighted the suffering of his co-petitioner no. 3, Ramthing Hungyo, whose native place, Kamjong, has become a haven of cross-border drug trafficking, and the hardships he had to endure as his 40-year-old son got caught up with drug use at a very tender age and his own grand nephew died, recently, due to drug overdose.
It stated that the 3.5 Collective sincerely hopes that the Government of Manipur files its objections in time, so that the Supreme Court can deliver justice expeditiously. It should also seriously consider withdrawing its objection to granting the well deserved right of the victims of drug menace to appeal against acquittal, it added.
