Imphal, March 09: Following the order issued by a Duty Magistrate today, hunger striker, Irom Sharmila Chanu was today remanded to police custody and returned to the security ward of the JN hospital which has been her 'home' ever since she launched her fast unto death agitation demanding the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, after the Assam Rifles mowed down ten civilians at Malom on November 2, 2000. Sharmila was released from custody on March 7 this year by the Chief Judicial Magistrate as the punishable period of one under the Section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) had lapsed by then.

However the anti-AFSPA activist continued with her fast even after her release, she was picked up by Imphal East police and produced before a Duty Magistrate today.

The Duty Magistrate duly remanded her to judicial custody till March 20. An officer of the Imphal East police said that since Sharmila had continued with her fast, the police had to act and she was picked up and produced before the Duty Magistrate today evening.

On the other hand, Asian Human Rights Commission, which is based at Delhi has reacted strongly against the detention of Sharmila and dubbed it as another blow to the universally acclaimed Gandhian principle of protesting against injustice without violence.

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