The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Court seeks details of medical treatment given to convict

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Court seeks details of medical treatment given to convict

Special Correspondent

Judges ask the respondents, who included the Home Secretary and the Additional Director-General of Prisons, to file their replies by July 14.

CHENNAI : The Madras High Court has asked the State Government to give details of the medical treatment being given to Murugan, a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, in the Vellore Central Prison where he is on fast since June 25.

A Division Bench comprising Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice V. Dhanapalan gave the direction when a habeas corpus petition filed by advocate P. Pugalenthi came up for hearing on Tuesday. Without admitting the petition, the Judges asked the respondents, who included the Home Secretary and the Additional Director-General of Prisons, to file their replies by July 14. In his petition, Mr. Pugalenthi, who is the coordinator of Tamil Nadu Protection of Prisoners Rights Centre, said Murugan was on fast in order to prevail over the authorities to grant visa to his daughter M. Arithra, who is residing in Sri Lanka at present. His wife, Nalini, who is also serving life-term in the assassination case, is lodged in the Vellore Women's Prison. The petitioner said the HCP was necessitated, as the prison authorities did not allow him to meet Murugan in jail. Claiming that the health condition of Murugan was deteriorating and that he was "on the verge of collapse," he prayed for direction to "safeguard the life of Murugan and to provide him proper medical treatment."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu