Wife of Pandi, arrested in connection with the murder of an aide of former union Minister M K Alagiri, today moved Madras High Court challenging the shifting of her husband from central prison here, apprehending that he could be killed during transit in fake encounter.
When the petition by P Dhyal seeking quashing of the order of jail authorities shifting Pandi to Palayamkottai Central Prison in Tirunelveli came up for hearing, Justice P N Prakash directed that notice be issued to the Superintendent of the Central Prison here, seeking his reply by Oct 27.
Petitioner claimed that while the Judicial Magistrate, who remanded Pandi to Judicial custody last month, ordered that he be lodged in the Central Prison here, the jail SP had transferred him to Palayamkottai allegedly on a telephonic instruction from DIG of Prisons.
She apprehended that her husband could be killed in fake encounter while being brought to court here in connection with the cases against him.
She also contended that only the IGP had the power to transfer a prisoner from one prison to the other and the SP had no jurisdiction.
Besides, Pandi had several "false" cases pending in Madurai and his family members were staying here. Hence he should be brought back to the Madurai prison, she said.
Pandi was arrested in connection with the murder of Pottu Suresh, personal assistant to Alagiri, in Mumbai on September 21, produced before the Judicial Magistrate here the next day and later remanded to judicial custody.
