May 17 movement members move HC against Goondas Act detention

The Madras High Court today issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government on petitions by four members of pro-Tamil outfit 'May 17 Movement' challenging their recent detention under the stringent Goondas Act.
A division bench of justices A Selvam and P Kalaiyarasan directed the Additional Public Prosecutor, representing the state government, to file an affidavit before August 3 when the habeas corpus petitions filed by the four came up for hearing.
G Thirumurugan, leader of the movement, and three others, submitted that they along with other members of the movement had assembled at Marina Beach here in May, to hold a memorial for Tamil victims of Sri Lankan ethnic strife.

They were arrested for offences under various sections of the IPC and the TN Public Property (Prevention of Damages and Loss) Act and produced before a court here, which remanded them in judicial custody.
Meanwhile, the City Police Commissioner passed an order detaining them under the Goondas Act on May 28, on the ground that they were involved in activities, prejudicial to the maintenance of public order.
The petitioners contended that the detention order was "illegal, unconstitutional and passed without due application of mind" and sought it to be quashed.

The bench also ordered notice on another habeas corpus petition by J Vivek of Madurai seeking to produce his 45-year- old wife Padma in the court and set her at liberty.

Vivek alleged that while Padma was returning by train after medical treatment at Ernakulam, she was "abducted" by policemen in plain clothes at gun point.
When the matter came up, Additional Public Prosecutor told the bench that several criminal cases were pending against the woman and she was absconding.
The bench then directed the Q Branch Police to take appropriate steps and posted the HCP for further hearing to July 17.