The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Coimbatore City Police to respond to a habeas corpus petition, which had sought an inquiry into the police personnel having shot gangster M. Sanjay Raja on his leg early this week when he reportedly opened fire on an Inspector of Police.
A Division Bench of Justices S.S. Sundar and P.B. Balaji directed Additional Public Prosecutor R. Muniyapparaj to ensure that the counter affidavit was filed within two weeks and granted liberty to the prosecution to raise the questions of maintainability as well as locus standi too in the counter.
Opposing the petition filed by M. Munirathinam (31) of Dharmapuri district, who claimed to be the friend of Sanjay Raja, the APP said, the petitioner had not established his locus standi to file the case. The law officer also contended that a habeas corpus petition was not maintainable in such issues.
Informing the court that the police had no option but to shoot the gangster on his leg since he had opened fire against the police personnel, the APP said that he had now been provided with medical treatment. After his preliminary arguments, the judges granted time for filing a counter affidavit.
