CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday quashed the detention of a real estate businessman under Goondas Act, who was arrested in connection with the murder of a relative of Milk and Diary Development Minister BV Ramana.
J Ravi, the minister’s cousin and son of Jayaraman, a trade association leader in Thiruvallur district, was hacked to death in October last year. Ravi was running a hardware shop and also involved in real estate business. A week later, L Thirunavukarasu and nine others were arrested in connection with the murder. On November 27, 2014, Thirunavukarasu was detained under Goondas Act by the Thiruvallur District Collector.
On Monday, Thirunavukarasu’s wife T Udaya Kumari approached the High Court challenging the detention. She contended that there were errors in the translated copy of her husband’s remand order and that it has been translated without proper application of mind. When the petition came up for hearing before the Bench comprising Justices S Tamilvanan and CT Selvam, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that for a case registered under section 302 (murder), an additional section 109 (abetment) was erroneously added in the translated copy.
Concurring with the contentions of the petitioner, the Bench quashed the detention under Goondas Act and directed that the detainee may be released.