CHENNAI: The mother of a 29-year-old man, detained under the Goondas Act on November 11, has approached the Advisory Board seeking his release claiming that he was wrongfully detained under the statute.
In her petition, M Kanaga Rani, mother of M Moorthy, said her son was arrested by the Sub-Inspector, Marina Police Station, on July 6 for allegedly possessing 1,250 grams of marijuana and produced before the XIII Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore for judicial custody.
But the magistrate refused to send Moorthy to judicial custody, as the police could not produce the contraband said to be seized from the accused.
The court then set Moorthy free on July 7 stating that it could not find any prima facie material against the accused, Kanaga added.
Subsequently, Moorthy was declared a ‘Goonda’ and an order to detain him under Goondas Act was issued by the Commissioner of Police (CoP), Chennai, on November 8.
The order was issued based on the report filed by the Sub-Inspector, Marina Police Station, that Moorthy was a habitual offender and that he was absconding arrest in two criminal cases that were filed against him on July 7 and July 13 respectively.
According to the petitioner, the police official had filed a false report to the Commissioner fearing that Moorthy would initiate legal proceedings against him for wrongfully arresting him in the ganja case.