Sharmila says sorry for fiancé’s misconduct, to marry after polls

Rights activist Irom Sharmila, contesting the Thoubal assembly seat as a candidate of her newly-formed party People’s Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA), has apologised to her supporters for the “misconduct” of her fiancé, who she plans to marry after the assembly elections in Manipur.

Sharmila, during her 15-year fast against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, said she had fallen in love with Desmond Coutinho, a Goa-origin UK resident. In the past few days, Coutinho spewed venom against Sharmila’s supporters on social network sites.

On Thursday night, Sharmila issued a signed statement apologising for Coutinho’s “abusive conduct” and use of “unparliamentarily words” to describe her supporters, including her new associates of PRJA.

While apologising, she lamented that some of her Manipur-based well-wishers had asked Coutinho to dissuade her from being in electoral politics. “This is in poor taste, and no one can make me change my mind when I am committed to something,” she said.

Sharmila, 44, said Coutinho feared for his life as he has suffered a heart attack thrice. “He is nearly 10 years older than me and in poor health. I wish to marry him once the elections are over,” she said. HTC

Eight months after the last judicial appointments were made to the Supreme Court, five new judges were sworn in on Friday, taking the strength to 28.

The government notified the appointments of five judges on Wednesday, almost a week after the top court collegium headed by chief justice JS Khehar sent its recommendations.

Sources indicated that the collegium will meet soon to propose three more names to ensure the top court functions with full strength by next month. Chief justice KM Joseph of Uttarakhand high court and justice NP Vasanthakumar are in the zone of consideration.

Their names had figured in the list prepared last year by the collegiums, then headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur.

However, they did not figure in the new list, prompting one of the collegium members, justice J Chelameswar, to write a note against the exclusion of justice Joseph.

The Uttarakhand chief justice headed the bench that quashed President’s Rule in the hill state, embarrassing the NDA government at the Centre.

However, the latest appointments to the top court did not see any woman judge getting sworn. At present, there is only one sitting woman judge, justice R Bhanumathi, who was appointed on August 13, 2014. She is one of the rare trial court judges to have made it to the top court. HTC