Chennai: The Madras high court quashed the detention of 23-year-old Valarmathi under the Goondas Act, for allegedly distributing pamphlets in support of a stir against hydrocarbon project in the state.
When a petition filed by her father came up for hearing before a division bench comprising Justices A Selvam and Pon Kalaiyarasan on Tuesday, it quashed the detention order passed by Salem City Police Commissioner against Valarmathi, a journalism student of Periyar University, Salem.
Valarmathi was arrested in Salem on July 12 on a charge of distributing pamphlets seeking support for a protest against the implementation of the hydrocarbon project in Neduvasal and Kathiramangalam in Pudukottai district. She was detained in Coimbatore Central Prison.
The bench, in its order, said “the factum of arrest made in the ground case has not been informed to the relative or the friends of the detenu.” “There has been a delay in disposing of the representation made by the detenu. Hence, the detention order is quashed.”
