The Madras High Court issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government and Salem city police commissioner on a plea challenging the detention of a 23- year-old girl student under the Goondas Act for taking part in a stir against a proposed hydrocarbon project in the state.
A division bench of justices A Selvam and Pon Kalaiyarasan ordered issue of notice on a petition filed by Madaiyan, the father of Valarmathi, a journalism student of the Salem Periyar University, returnable by August 7.
Following the arrest of Valarmathi, the Salem city police commissioner had, on July 17, passed orders to detain her under the Goondas Act, the petitioner submitted.
He further submitted that the detention of his daughter, who was fighting peacefully for a people's cause, was "malice in law".
Thus, the detention was per se "illegal" and a result of "abuse" of power, he added.
Hence, he urged the court to quash the detention order passed by the police commissioner on July 17.
Valarmathi was arrested at Salem on July 12 when she, along with another student, was allegedly distributing pamphlets, seeking support for a protest against the implementation of the project in Pudukottai district.