HC asks Forum to serve papers to Registrar General

The Madras High Court today directed the Prisoners Rights Forum to serve papers on the Registrar General of the court regarding to the petition filed by it seeking speedy justice of the prisoners detained under Goonda's Act.
A Division Bench comprising Justice V Dhanapalan and Justice G Chokkalingam after directing the Forum, to serve papers to Registrar General and posted the matter for further hearing to Monday.
The Forum in its petition has mentioned about a PIL filed by it in connection with the attack on prisoners in the Puzhal Jail here on March 24, which was a sequel to a hunger protest by prisoners who were detained under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, rug offenders, goondas, immoral traffic offenders and slum-grabbers Act-1982, demanding early disposal of their HCP's pending before High Court.

The forum submitted that it has made a representation in the High Court on April 4 requesting to constitute a Special Bench for hearing and disposing of the HCP's concerning the Act. In spite of the representation made by it so far High Court has not constituted a Special Bench for the purpose of deciding the HCP's, it said.
The prisoners detained under the Act are entitled to enforce their fundamental right under article 21 of the Constitution for speedy justice.
Though the total detention period under the act is 12 months, the prisoners cannot be forced to complete the entire period of 12 months in prison despite the fact that they have approached the Court through a petition under article 226 of Constitution of India challenging the detention order in time.

The non-constitution of special bench for deciding all these HCP's would be violative of Articles 14 and 21 of Constitution of India, the forum contended.