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Written by  The Peoples Chronicle

“I could have died long ago if my agitation was an attempt to commit suicide”, said Irom Chanu Sharmila, talking to media persons as she was produced at the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal East on Friday. The court remanded her to judicial custody till May 13.

Sharmila said that she opted to go on a fast as a weapon to fulfill her goal just as many politicians and social workers in the country use non-violent movement as a means to achieve their goal. “However, government termed my peaceful agitation as an attempt to commit suicide and registered a case and arrested me time and again”, Sharmila said and asked the media persons if this is right.

While stating that senior advocate Khaidem Mani will serve as her counsel and fight the case registered by government against her, Sharmila expressed her happiness to learn when Khaidem Mani has agreed to be a counsel to fight cases registered against her.

Meanwhile, senior advocate Khaidem Mani has started acting as Sharmila’s counsel from Friday onward thereby filling a long void of lawyer standing in favour of the hunger striker to fight court cases.

Speaking to media persons, Khaidem Mani said he has started working as Sharmila’s counsel and necessary legal proceedings in this regard has also been taken up including filing of “power”.  Regarding cases against the hunger striker, Mani said there might be some 13/14 FIRs registered against the hunger striker since March, 2000 and most of the FIRs are under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code. Charge-sheets of the FIRs have also been placed before the court with issuance of relevant papers, Mani also informed that further steps would be taken up after May 13, the day Sharmila would be produced before the court.