Hyderabad: Counsel representing suspended BJP MLA T. Raja Singh said the invocation of the Preventive Detention (PD) Act for his arrest would be challenged in the High Court.
Singh’s counsel, advocate K. Karunasagar, said he would petition the High Court to quash the proceedings. “Invoking the PD Act itself acts as an arrest. It gives power to the cops to detain a person in jail after getting a medical examination done,” Karunasagar said.
HC advocates said this was the first time a legislator was detained under the PD Act.
Arun Kumar, an advocate at the High Court, said that the PD Act was registered against repeat offenders who commit the same crime.
“Once the PD Act is invoked, the person will have to stay in jail for a year. After the formation of Telangana, with the discretionary power of the government, the PD Act was brought into effect. The police have the power to take offenders directly to jail (under the Act). To challenge it, one has to approach the High Court. Family (of an offender) will be informed about the reasons for invoking the PD Act,” Kumar said.
