Imphal, Feb. 29: Rights crusader Irom Chanu Sharmila was released from jail today after an Imphal court ruled that she was not guilty of the charge levelled against her of attempting to commit suicide.

After release, Sharmila said she would not eat anything and would continue her hunger strike. Accompanied by her supporters, she walked a distance of 3km from Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, where she was confined, to Shahid Minar and continued her fast.

"I want mass support for the struggle to get the act repealed. I believe if there is mass support, our goal will be achieved. But even if it is a lone struggle, I will not change my stand," she said.

Sharmila, who has been fasting since November 5, 2000, to press for her demand to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, has been charged with "attempting to commit suicide" under Section 309 of the IPC. The maximum sentence for the offence under the section is one year. Every year, at the end of the sentence, she is freed, only to be rearrested.

She was freed from jail by an Imphal court on January 22 last year after it dismissed the same charges. She was rearrested the next day under the same section after she continued her hunger strike at the foot of the elephant statue here. Soon after, she challenged the charges and the court of chief judicial magistrate, Imphal West, Lamkhanpao Tonsing, reserved its judgment when the case came up for final hearing on February 24 this year.

However, in an order passed today, the court said, "The accused person, Irom Chanu Sharmila, is found not guilty of the charge of attempting to commit suicide under Section 309 of IPC and hence she is acquitted of the charges. The accused person shall be released immediately."

After getting the court order, Sharmila said she would continue her hunger strike. "I will not change my stand. I will end the fast only after the armed forces act is repealed," she said.

Sharmila's supporters waited outside the entrance of the special ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences for her to walk out of her room. She did not come out immediately as formalities of the release were to be completed before the final release. She has been confined in the special ward ever since she was arrested and jailed in 2000 and has been surviving on nasal feeding.

Sharmila's fast was triggered by the death of 10 civilians in an "indiscriminate firing" by troops of the Assam Rifles at a bus stand at Malom, near Imphal's Tulihal airport, in retaliation to a militant attack.

A case against her is pending in a Delhi court in connection with her hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in 2006. She regularly attended the hearing of the Delhi court.