The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Court levies costs on State

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Court levies costs on State

Staff Reporter

HIGH COURTROUND-UP

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday levied costs of Rs. 5,000 on the Government for its "callous" attitude in not producing records sought for by it in a habeas corpus case.

The petitioner, Zubaida, had sought a direction to the State to produce her husband, Mohammad Haneef, who, she said, was detained by the Customs authorities at the Bangalore Airport on May 1, 2006, when he landed from a flight from a West Asian country. She said the Customs authorities had detected a suitcase containing currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 denomination.

A case under the COFEPOSA Act was booked against Haneef and he was produced before a Bangalore court on May 4, 2006, and remanded to police custody. On July 14, the State passed a detention order under the Act.

Zubeida had challenged the detention order, saying that it was illegal. She had urged the court to direct the State to produce her husband.

The State Public Prosecutor sought more time to produce the records.

A Division Bench, comprising Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Anand Byrareddy, noted that though the court had on several occasions asked for the records in the case, the Home Department had not produced it. Taking exception to such conduct, the Bench levied costs of Rs. 5,000 on the State.

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