Fedbank robbery case: Detention order under Goondas Act quashed

CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday quashed the detention order under the Goondas Act against Balaji, one of the accused in the robbery of gold ornaments from the Fedbank’s gold loan office in Arumbakkam.

It could be recalled that a gang stormed into the Fedbank’s gold loan service office on August 13 last year and looted jewellery.

Last year, on August 14, police arrested Santhosh and Balaji from Villivakkam and several others including a police inspector named Amal Raj. Around 2 months later, Murugan, Balaji, Santhosh Kumar, Suriya, Senthil Kumar and Srivatsan were detained under the Goondas Act in October 2022.

Assailing this, their families filed habeas corpus petitions in the Madras High Court. When these pleas came up for hearing before Justices M Sundar and M Nirmal Kumar on Tuesday, the petitioner’s counsel contended that the regulations to be followed before detaining them under Goondas Act were not strictly adhered to.

Hearing the arguments, the bench quashed the detention order under the Goondas Act against Balaji and said that the documents required to be followed were not properly attached and adjourned others’ hearing to April 17.