CHENNAI: Holding that there was considerable delay in considering the representations, a division bench of the Madras High Court has set aside the orders dated May 28 last of the City Police Commissioner detaining Thirumurugan Gandhi and three others under the Goondas Act.
All the individual representations given by the detainees on different dates repeatedly were not disposed of within the stipulated time. The inordinate delay in their disposal shows the total inaction on the part of the authorities concerned. Such a delay affected the right of the detainees guaranteed under Article 22 (5) of the Constitution. “Therefore, on this ground alone, this court is of the considered view that the detention order is liable to be quashed,” a bench of justices A Selvam and Pon Kalaiyarasan said and accordingly set aside the detention orders, on Tuesday.
Originally, the members of ‘May 17’, an organisation, including the four, were arrested for observing the remembrance day of the Eelam war killings on the Marina without permission. Subsequently, by an order dated May 28 of the Police Commissioner, they were detained under the Goondas Act and lodged in Puzhal Prison.