Tamil Nadu:Give medical aid to Maoists: HC

Chennai, Dec 20: The Madras High Court today directed Tamil Nadu police to provide all necessary medical aid to five Maoists who were arrested in Theni district. A division bench comprising Justice P D Dinakaran and Justice R Regupathy gave the directive on a habeas corpus petition filed by Haribabu, an advocate from Salem, seeking to produce Murugananthan, Mahalingam, Maruthu, Balamurugan and Lokesh before the court. When the petition came up for hearing, Advocate Sankarasubbu, appearing for the petitioner, sought a direction to provide medical aid to the detenus and give permission to advocates to meet them. The bench said, "We are of the considered opinion that immediate medical aid was more necessary than permitting the advocates to get instructions." "Hence the State Home Secretary, DGP, Additional DGP, Superintendent of Police, Theni, are directed to provide all necessary medical aid to the detenus immediately as deemed fit by the medical officer. Judicial magistrate, Andipatti, is directed to oversee the medical treatment that would be given to the detenus," the bench said. In his petition, Haribabu alleged the five were shot at from a close range. Five of them were nabbed by police after an exchange of fire in Varushanadu, near Theni, yesterday. Two of them have been remanded to custody while three others were hospitalised. (Agencies) Published: Friday, December 21, 2007