HC's notice to Govt on PMK leader's detention

Chennai, Jul 23: The Madras High Court on Wednesday, July 23, issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government on a petition filed by Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) functionary and NSA detenu 'Kaduvetti' J Guru.

A Division Bench, comprising Justices D Murugesan and S Palanivelu, directed the state to file its counter within six weeks. Guru, now detained in Tiruchirapalli Central Prison, had moved the High Court on Tuesday July 22, challenging the Tamil Nadu government's order detaining him under the NSA. He submitted that the detention order issued by the district authorities was nothing, but a total misuse of power and malafide.

The grounds for his detention, based on his speech made at a party forum on January 6, 2008, showed the case was a political vendetta.

Police had registered a case against him based on a complaint lodged by one Murugesan, who belonged to the ruling DMK.

He had filed the compliant after consulting senior party leaders, Guru claimed and sought to set aside his detention order.

He prayed the court to issue the writ of habeas corpus or any other order or direction for calling records and directing the respondents to produce him before this court and set him at liberty.

UNI