The Madras High Court Bench here on Saturday called for records, from a Judicial Magistrate court in Ramanathapuram district, relating to remand of nine individuals in connection with a clash between the police and members of Popular Front of India on Monday.
A Division Bench comprising Justice M. Sathyanarayanan and Justice V.M. Velumani passed the order in a habeas corpus petition filed by M. Mohamed Abbas of Social Democratic Party of India. The petitioner had accused the police of detaining the nine individuals under illegal custody.
Rebutting the allegation, Additional Advocate General K. Chellapandian contended that the nine people had been remanded to judicial custody along with 10 others.
On the other hand, the petitioner’s counsel W. Peter Ramesh Kumar pointed out that the complainant in the case was also the investigating officer of the case.
According to the counsel, the police had registered a total of three cases in connection with the violence against named as well as unnamed accused. The case in which the PFI members had been remanded was booked on the basis of a complaint lodged by a Police Inspector who was also investigating the case.
In so far as another case was concerned, N. Seeni Abdul Kadar, the complainant in that case, filed an affidavit before the court stating that he had not preferred any such complaint. He claimed that the police had booked the case by coercing him to sign in blank papers.
After hearing the arguments and perusing the affidavit, the Bench directed the police to file their counter affidavits and adjourned the hearing to Monday. Though the court does not work on Saturdays, it took up the case considering the urgency involved in the issue.
