A judicial magistrate swung into action following a complaint from the wife of a detenue who was held in the police station and set him free from the police lock-up.
According to sources, Vijay, 21, and Vignesh, 22, of Ponneri, Livingston, 22, and Praveen Kumar, 23, of Gummudipoondi, were picked up by the Gummidipoondi police a few days ago. Their detention was not duly informed to the family members.
Shalini, wife of Praveen Kumar, came to the court of district munsif-cum-judicial magistrate N. Alicia in Gummidipoondi. She complained to the magistrate that her husband had been taken by the police three days ago under the pretext of an enquiry. He was being illegally detained in police lock-up, she claimed.
She also sought the magistrate’s help to release her husband from illegal custody.
Immediately on hearing her grievance, Ms. Alicia stepped down from her judge’s podium and took an auto to reach the police station in Gummidipoondi. The police personnel at the station were startled to see the judge walk up to the lock-up.
She spoke to those detained and found that the version of the complainant was true. She also questioned the station inspector as to why they were detained and whether any case had been registered against them. Pulling up the police personnel for their response, the magistrate set free the four detenues from the lock-up.
Later in the evening, three of them, including Praveen Kumar, were formally arrested in connection with the snatching of mobile phones. They were produced before the judicial magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.
