The Madras High Court has cancelled a detention order issued under the Goondas Act against construction company owner Santosh Sharma.
Sharma was arrested over allegations of irregularities in a housing project at Kolathur, Chennai, on land owned by Poornajothi, wife of DMDK treasurer L.K. Sudheesh. The project involved 234 apartments, of which 78 units were handed over, and he was later detained under the preventive detention law last year.
Challenging the detention, Sharma’s daughter Varsha Sharma filed a habeas corpus petition before the High Court. A division bench comprising Justices G.R. Swaminathan and V. Lakshminarayanan heard the matter and quashed the Goondas Act order.
The court directed that Sharma, lodged at Puzhal Central Prison, be released immediately if he is not required in any other case. It was also noted that former Chennai Police Commissioner Arun appeared in person in connection with the proceedings, as per court directions.
