Ayanavaram girl gang rape: 6 accused challenge their detention under Goondas Act

Chennai: The Madras high court has ordered notice to the authorities concerned on a batch of petitions from family members of six accused in the minor girl gang rape case in Ayanavaram, challenging their detention under the Goondas Act.

A division bench comprising justices C.T. Selvam and M. Nirmal Kumar before whom the habeas corpus petitions from Premavathy and five others came up for hearing, adjourned it by three weeks.

According to Premavathy, her husband Sukumaran, 60-year-old, one of the 17 accused, was arrested by the police in connection with the gang-rape case in Ayanavaram. While he was in judicial custody, city police commissioner detained him under the Goondas Act on September 5. The detention order was illegal and arbitrary. No substantial materials were placed before the detaining authority before passing the order. The grounds of detention were not furnished to the accused in time. Moreover, she was not given any intimation about the detention of her husband under Goondas Act, she contended family members of five other accused also filed similar petitions.