VIJAYAWADA: A habeas corpus petition has been filed in the High Court alleging the illegal detention of YSRCP Media Wing General Secretary Pudi Srihari on Wednesday.
The petition was filed by his driver, Pothala Simhachalam Naidu, who claimed that unidentified individuals, posing as police officers and dressed in civil clothes, took Srihari away and that his whereabouts remain unknown. The petitioner sought directions from the HC to produce Srihari before it.
The matter was mentioned before a division bench comprising Justice Ravinath Tilhari and Justice Medamalli Balaji by Srihari’s counsel, Saneppalli Ramalakshmana Reddy, who requested an urgent hearing in the form of a lunch motion. The bench stated that the matter would be taken up for hearing on Thursday.
According to the petition, the incident occurred at around 7:45 am on Wednesday when Srihari was returning from the residence of former Chief Minister and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
A group of individuals, claiming to be police personnel, forcibly shifted him into another vehicle without disclosing their identities.
The petitioner alleged that neither Srihari nor his family members were informed about the detention reasons, terming it a violation of Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution.
It was stated that due procedures under relevant legal provisions were not followed. The petitioner urged the court to declare detention illegal and direct authorities to immediately produce Srihari before the HC.