The Manipur High Court on Thursday extended till September 13 the interim protection from arrest granted to advocate Deeksha Dwivedi, against whom an FIR was lodged under sections relating to waging war against the state and defamation in Manipur.
Deeksha Dwivedi was a part of a fact-finding team along with two others that went to Manipur to hear testimonies of people affected by the violence that has gripped the state.
The three were subsequently booked under sections relating to waging war against the State and defamation, among others. On July 11, the Supreme Court granted her protection from arrest by Manipur police for one week.
A bench of Justice A Guneshwar of the Manipur High Court extended an interim order after the state government filed its counter affidavit in the matter.
The court has also granted two weeks’ time to Respondent No 3 to file its counter affidavit.
Further, Dwivedi has also been granted the liberty to file a rejoinder in the matter. The matter is next posted for hearing on September 13.
It may be noted that before the Supreme Court, Dwivedi's counsel had urged that it would be difficult to approach the Manipur High Court in view of the situation.
However, following Solicitor General's submissions, the bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice Manoj Misra granted her liberty to appear before the High Court virtually.
Dwivedi, along with Annie Raja, senior leader of the Communist Party of India, and Nisha Sidhu, general secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), were booked by the Manipur police on July 8, 2023 based on an application by one L Liben under section 121A, 124A, 153, 153A, 153B, 499, 504 and 505(2), read with section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The three accused persons were a part of a fact-finding team that went to Manipur to hear individual testimonies of people affected by the violence that has gripped the state.
