India - Custody of Maoists, sympathisers extended till October 7

The Principal District Sessions Judge (PDSJ) on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of Maoist leader Roopesh, his wife Shyna and sympathisers J. Anoop, C. Kannan and C. Veeramani till October 7. They were arrested at an eatery at Karumathampatty in the late hours of May 3, 2015. Charge sheet Their Counsel S. Balamurugan argued that the judicial custody should not be extended as the five were in jail for more than four months, as the charge sheet was yet to be filed.
The PDSJ Pongiappan asked if the five would give their signature and handwriting samples – over a petition moved by ‘Q’ Branch Police a couple of months ago – to verify the same with documents seized from them during their arrest. Mr. Balamurugan said that a petition submitted by them in this connection was pending before the Madras High Court, due to which the signature samples cannot be obtained from them on Wednesday.

Mr. Balamurugan also said that they filed a petition before the court, alleging that prison authorities were acting highhanded by blacking out news items on prisons and political developments on the newspaper being provided to them at the prison. He argued that this was against the right to know, despite an order by the PDSJ to the prison authorities last month, to abide by the prison manual. Earlier, on a request made by Shyna, the PDSJ allowed her to talk with her husband for five minutes in court.