Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu), August 18: Human rights activist Irom Sharmila has tied the nuptial knot with long-time partner Desmond Coutinha in a simple ceremony in Tamil Nadu’s Kodaikanal on Thursday.

The duo married under the ‘ Special Marriage Act’ in presence of few friends, while families of both – the bride and the groom – were absent.

An NRI from Goa, Countanho and Sharmila have been seeing each other for years.

The 44-year-old activist rose to fame after launching a fast for 16 years, which she had to end in 2016. Thereafter, she contested the Assembly polls in Manipur this year, but ended up with just 90 votes in her first electoral fight against former chief minister Ibobi Singh. (ANI)