Madras HC issues notice to state, Centre to produce NSA dete

The Madras High Court has issued notice to the State and Union Governments on a habeas corpus petition, seeking the production of a person detained under the National Security Act (NSA), before the court and set him at liberty.

A Division Bench comprising Justices S J Mukhopadhaya and Raja Elango, while admitting a petition yesterday, ordered notice to the State and Centre returnable within two weeks.

In his petition, R Ambedhgar of Krishnapuram in Perambalur district submitted that on coming to know that lorry loads of weapons were proceeding towards Kochi to be transported to Sri Lanka, his brother R Lakshmanan and others gathered near the Neelambur by-pass road in Coimbatore on May 2 to stage a demonstration against the supply of weapons.

The public stopped the army vehicles and there was a commotion.

Lakshmanan was arrested in connection with the incident and remanded to judicial custody. On June 4, he was detained under NSA by the Coimbatore District Collector.

The petitioner said no material was placed before the detaining authority to show that the detenu indulged in any activity to attract penal provision or acted in a manner prejudicial to public order. The Collector had passed the detention order mechanically.

He sought a direction to the State Public Secretary, the Union Home Secretary and the District Collector, Coimbatore, cited as respondents, to call for the records relating to the detention order, quash the same, direct the authorities to produce the detenu, now lodged in Central Prison, Coimbatore, before the court and set him at liberty.