By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Prominent city lawyer SP Mahanta has said that no one has the right to infringe into the religious practices of any individual.
While referring to the practice of black magic, Mahanta said that there are people who indulge in black magic considering it as their faith.
“But the majority might feel that black magic is an evil thing. But those who are opposed to this practice have no right to take the law into their own hands,” he said, while speaking as a resource person during a one-day seminar on ‘Judicial Discretion vis-a-vis Citizens in Indian Democracy’ here on Saturday.
Citing an example, he said that few years back there was an incident at Mawlai where the people took the law into their own hands by punishing a family alleged to have been involved in the practice of black magic. Quoting another instance, Mahanta said that recently in Sohra, a similar incident had occurred the villagers attacked some people accusing them of being men-shoh-noh (cut-throats).
“As per the law, these people who perform black magic have the right to be protected,” Mahanta said.
Meanwhile, prominent lawyer Khalid Khan said that Article 21 of the Indian Constitution asserts the importance of citizens’ rights.
Khan said that Article 21 clearly states that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.
“By reading Article 21, one can understand how the Indian Constitution has given special emphasis to the rights of the citizen,” he said.
No one can deprived a person of his life or liberty must be lawful, reasonable, fair, and just, Khan said, while adding that no police officer had the right or the authority to arrest any individual merely because the person has been accused in a criminal case.
“Every member of the judiciary is also duty bound to respect the right to due process and cannot automatically remand individuals on account of being produced in a court room” he added.
The seminar was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Bindo M Lanong.