Declare childs detention illegal

CHENNAI: A writ plea has been made in the Madras High Court to declare the detention of a two-year-old boy along with his mother at the Coimbatore Cenral Prison, as ultra vires of Article 21 of the Constitution. The petition from A Sethu of Choolaimedu also prayed for a direction to the authorities concerned to initiate action against those responsible for lodging the child in jail.The vacation bench comprising Justice C Nagappan and Justice KBK Vasuki posted the matter for further hearing on January 2.In his petition, Sethu submitted that Brinda Devi was holding a ‘satyagraha’ in front of her husband’s house in Erode for over 12 days from Decemebr 12 last. The neighbours provided necessary assistance to her and  to her two-year-old boy.According to local media reports, Brinda Devi’s husband Radhakrishnan deserted her. However, on Decemebr 22, the local inspector Shivakumar warned Brinda Devi that her husband had communal proximity with minister KV Ramalingam, who had allegedly directed the SP to arrest her on false charges, if she did not vacate the place by 9 am on December 23.As she did not do so, she was arrested, produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody in the Coimbatore Central Prison. The police detained the child also along with her. The jail authorities did not provide milk to the child. The dark, cramped jail terrorised the child, the petitioner alleged.