Madras High Court Issues Notice on Goondas Act Detention of YouTuber and Commentator

The Madras High Court in Chennai has issued a formal notice to the Chennai police department, seeking their response to two separate habeas corpus petitions that challenge the preventive detention of YouTuber Mukthar Ahmed and political commentator Trichy Surya Siva under the state's Goondas Act.

On Friday, a division bench consisting of Justice Anita Sumanth and Justice Sunder Mohan officially admitted the petitions. The bench directed the Chennai police to file their counter-petitions addressing the legal challenges and scheduled the next hearing to take place four weeks later.

The legal dispute traces back to early June, when a former female functionary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed an official complaint with the city police. The complainant alleged that Trichy Surya Siva and Mukthar Ahmed had made derogatory, sexually explicit, and defamatory remarks directed at her.

Following the complaint, which was lodged on June 3, the Chennai police initiated arrests. Trichy Surya Siva was arrested on June 4. The police subsequently tracked down and arrested Mukthar Ahmed in Mysore on June 9.

On June 16, the Chennai police officially invoked the Goondas Act against both of the accused, ordering their preventive detention.

The habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of Ahmed and Surya challenge the validity of these detention orders. The petitioners argue that the Chennai police committed critical procedural lapses when invoking the Goondas Act. Furthermore, the petitions claim that the preventive detention orders are unconstitutional.

With the High Court admitting the petitions on Friday, the Chennai police now have a four-week window to submit their official counters to the court. The police must justify the detention orders and address the alleged procedural errors before the next hearing.