Sharmila’s ‘boyfriend’ arrested - Held for disturbing peace

Desmond Coutinho in Imphal. File picture

KHELEN THOKCHOM, TT, Imphal, Feb. 25: Police today arrested Desmond Coutinho, a British citizen of Indian origin, who claims to be the fiancé of rights crusader Irom Sharmila on charges of “disturbing peace” inside an Imphal hospital where the hunger striker is lodged.

The police produced Coutinho before a duty magistrate, who remanded him in judicial custody for 15 days.

Coutinho was booked under Sections 186, 290 and 291 IPC relating to obstructing public servants from discharging duties and creating public nuisance. The offence is bailable.

The magistrate sent him to jail after he refused to pay a personal bond of Rs 30,000. The police said Coutinho, who has been camping in Imphal for the past few days to meet Sharmila, arrived at 5.30 this morning at the special ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, where the hunger striker is lodged. When he found the collapsible gate of the ward closed, Coutinho rocked the gate in his attempt to enter the ward forcibly. When officials of the hospital asked him to behave, he shouted at them using “abusive” language.

He was later shifted to the nearby Porompat police station. “We have arrested him for creating public nuisance and obstructing officials of the hospital in discharging their duties. We have received complaints that he disturbed peace of the hospital by shouting and rocking the collapsible gate,” a police officer said.

Coutinho, 52, comes to Imphal occasionally coinciding with Sharmila’s court appearances. The two had earlier met in court both in Imphal and New Delhi. A case is pending against Sharmila in a Delhi court in connection with her fast there in 2006.

Sharmila has been on fast since November 2000 demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. Though she accepted Coutinho’s love, Sharmila said she would not end her fast till the act was repealed.

Coutinho, who was present when Sharmila was produced before the court of judicial magistrate first class, Wisdom Kamodang, on Monday, he managed to get permission on Monday from the same court to meet Sharmila between 11am and 12.30pm today.

Accusing Coutinho of being a government “spy” out “to lure Sharmila out of her struggle and to sabotage the people’s campaign” for repealing the army act, Sharmila’s supporters roughed up him during her court appearance on Monday, the police said.

Coutinho could not meet Sharmila today as he was arrested.

Sharmila Kanba Lup, a conglomerate of citizens’ organisations supporting Sharmila’s struggle, lodged a complaint at Porompat police station today against Coutinho’s behaviour in the hospital. They wanted him to be deported.

A large number of Sharmila’s supporters, mostly women, came to the police picket where Countinho was being detained before being arrested and demanded that he should not be allowed to meet Sharmila. “No one knows who Desmond is. He is only trying to misguide and lure Sharmila out of her struggle. He should be deported immediately,” S. Momon, co-convener of the Lup, said.