Woman anti-hydrocarbon activist released from TN jail

Emerging from the jail here this evening, a beaming Valarmathi was given a rousing welcome by her family, friends and activist friends.

The 23-year old woman is a post graduate student of journalism of Periyar University at Salem near here.

Valarmathi was arrested on July 12 when she, along with another student, were allegedly distributing pamphlets, seeking support for a protest against the implementation of a proposed hydrocarbon project in Pudukottai district.

Five days after her arrest, charges under the Goondas Act were slapped on her with the police alleging that the pamphlets distributed by her contained slogans which were harmful to the interests of the nation.

The invoking of the stringent Goondas Act against the student was condemned by opposition parties.

A division bench of justices A Selvam and Pon Kalaiyarasan quashed the July 17 order of the Salem police commissioner detaining Valarmathi under the Goondas Act.

Allowing a petition filed by Madaiyan, father of the student who challenged the detention, the bench said the relatives or friends of the detenu were not informed of her arrest.

"There has been a delay in disposing of the representation made by the detenu. Hence, the detention order is quashed," the court had said.

The petitioner had contended that the detention of his daughter, who was "fighting peacefully for a people's cause", was "malice in law".