New Delhi/Guwahati
The Supreme Court on Friday refused an urgent hearing on a plea by two Manipur residents against the repeated internet shutdowns in the strife-torn State. A vacation bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal said the High Court is already seized of a similar issue.
In Manipur, security forces during their combing operations recovered as many as 35 more weapons and warlike stores.
“The High Court is hearing the matter. What’s the need to duplicate proceedings? Mention before the regular bench,” the SC bench stated hearing a plea filed by Chongtham Victor Singh and Mayengbam James.
Their plea said the shutdown was grossly disproportionate in its interference with the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression, and the right to carry on any trade or business using the constitutionally protected medium of the internet.
It said the measure has had a significant economic, humanitarian, social and psychological impact on both the petitioners and their families.
The petition contended that the residents of the state experienced feelings of “fear, anxiety, helplessness, and frustration” as a result of the shutdown, and have been unable to communicate with their loved ones or office colleagues.
“Continued suspension of the internet for the purpose of preventing rumour-mongering and the spread of misinformation does not pass the threshold prescribed by the Telecom Suspension Rules, 2017,” the plea said.
The plea was file even as the Manipur government on Tuesday extended the ban on internet services till June 10. The suspension of mobile data services, including broadband, has been extended till 3 pm of June 10. The ban has been in place since May 3.
Meanwhile, security forces carried out domination of the arterial national highway 37, connecting capital Imphal with Assam and other parts of the country, to ensure free movement of essential goods to and from Manipur as part of the operations.
On the first day of the joint combing operations on Wednesday, the security forces recovered 29 weapons, mostly automatic, mortar, hand grenades, small arms, ammunition and warlike stores.
Stating that 35 weapons of different types, ammunition and warlike stores were recovered on the second day of joint combing operations on Thursday in the hills and valley sector, an official said.
He said the security forces are adopting confidence building measure and a people centric approach to alleviate the hardships of the people.
He pointed out that that magistrates were present during combing operations in non-AFSPA areas and adequate measures were being taken during the combing operations, aimed at de-escalation of tensions amongst communities through physical domination besides recovery of weapons and ammunition, to ensure that the local population are not inconvenienced.
More than 100 people lost their lives and 310 others were injured in the ethnic violence in Manipur that broke out on May 3 even as 37,450 people are currently sheltered in 272 relief camps.
