Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea of Kerala law student against preventive detention

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea of a mother whose son, a law student, has been detained for the last four months under a Kerala law on prevention of anti-social activities.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi said the counsel for the woman, whose son is under detention, failed to substantiate his submission that the state advisory board had supported their case against detention.

The counsel then withdrew the plea. Jasheela TM, a native of Kozhikode in Kerala, had moved the apex court against the high court's order in the case.

The mother of the detainee said he has been under preventive detention for more than 110 days and that the Kerala High Court had granted time to law enforcement authorities in September to secure the opinion of the law department on his detention.

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The plea had sought quashing of the detention order and freedom for the student without further delay. Lawyer K Varghese had mentioned the matter for urgent hearing on Thursday before the bench headed by the CJI. "List it for tomorrow," the CJI had said on Thursday. The plea had made Kerala, the Advisory Board under the Kerala Anti-social Activities (Prevention) Act and Additional Chief Secretary of home department as parties.