The Vellore Central Prison authority today told the Madras High Court that a two-month stoppage of privilege of interview has been imposed on terror suspect ‘Police’ Fakruddin, arrested along with Bilal Malik in October in connection with murder of a BJP leader, for misbehaviour.
The superintendent of Vellore Central Prison submitted this today in a counter-affidavit before a division bench of Justice S Rajeswaran and Justice P N Prakash on a haebeas corpus petition by Abdul Rahim, General Secretary of Indian National League party, seeking permission to meet and ‘interview’ his friend.
The counter said Fakruddin was in legal custody as per the remand orders of a lower court and Rahim could not seek this relief by way of haebeas corpus petition.
It said Rahim was not a relative and hence cannot file a haebeas corpus petition to permit him meet the detenu.
The counter pointed out that Rahim was imprisoned from 2001 to 2010 under the TADA and jail officials were apprehensive of an administrative problem and other related issues affecting public interest if he were allowed to meet Fakruddin, who was involved in five murder cases.
It said Fakhrudin has refused to obey orders, resisted going inside his cell at night and insisted he be sent to a high-security block, which he was not entitled or allotted.
He also threatened jail staff and after a scuffle was sent inside the block. So he was awarded two months punishment with no interview facility, which would be in force till January 10, 2014.
The bench later adjourned the matter to January 7, 2014.
Fakruddin and Bilal Malik were arrested in October in connection with the murder of former BJP municipal councillor Murugan at Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district on March 19.
On December 2, a court in Ramanathapuram had extended their judicial custody to December 16 and ordered they be kept in Vellore prison after the duo said they were lodged in isolated cells.
On November 25, the court had remanded them to custody of CB-CID for seven days for investigation in the case.
The court had passed the order on a petition by CB-CID seeking 10-day custody of the two.