MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday summoned Judicial Magistrate II of Ramanathapuram, Superintendent of the Q-Branch, Superintendent of Puzhal Prison II and Kenikkarai Police inspector, seeking an explanation for ‘inadvertently releasing’ two Sri Lankan nationals — who illegally entered India after escaping punishment in various cases in Sri Lanka — while the court had directed them to repatriate the duo.
As per a CBI report submitted to the court, the duo, Sanga Srantha and Mohamed Saffras, are wanted in several murder and rape cases in Lanka. In 2018, while they were out on bail, they escaped from the island country to Tamil Nadu.
Here, the Kenikkarai police caught them without valid documents and booked them for illegal entry. While the duo moved a bail petition, which was dismissed, the Lankan government requested for them to be sent back, to face charges in crimes they had committed there. Subsequently, the duo filed a habeas corpus, claiming they were being illegally detained here.
A bench comprising Justices M Sathyanarayanan and B Pugalendhi then ordered for the duo to be deported. The police withdrew the complaint against them, and the judicial magistrate passed an order discharging them from the case.
However, instead of deportation, the duo were released from Puzhal Prison II on August 16, and are now absconding. The case has been adjourned to Thursday.