HC asks Mumbai police to produce "illegally" detained watchman

Mumbai, Jan 24 (PTI) The Bombay High Court today directedthe city police to produce before it a Nepali watchman, whowas allegedly illegally detained by suburban Bandra crimebranch officials since January 13 this year.

The direction was passed in a Haebus Corpus petitionfiled by the watchman - Suresh Bahadur Kumar''s nephew RameshKumar alleging that his uncle was illegally detained byofficials of Bandra''s DCB-CID unit on January 13.

"Suresh, who was working as a watchman in a bungalow inKurla, was picked up on January 13 along with four others forsome enquiry. While two of them were released on 15 and twoothers were let off on 19, Suresh is still in their custody,"the petition states.

A division bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and A R Joshidirected the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCB-CID to takeappropriate measures and produce Suresh before the court on orbefore February 4.

"It is your (police) duty to produce him. If you candetain people for enquiry you can also trace them back,"Justice Khanwilkar remarked.