Telangana HC sets aside Raja Singh's detention; orders his release

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday set aside the detention of BJP MLA Raja Singh under Preventive Detention Act (PD Act) and ordered his immediate release from the jail. A two-member bench of the High Court gave the ruling on a writ petition filed by Raja Singh's wife Usha Bhai, questioning the invocation of the PD Act against her husband and seeking his release.

As a consequence of the High Court order, the BJP MLA from Goshamahal was expected to be released by Wednesday night itself from Cherlapally jail, where he has been lodged since his arrest on August 25 in a case relating to communal and objectionable comments.

The High Court bench comprising Justice A Abhishek Reddy and Justice Juvvadi Sridevi, after hearing the arguments of Advocate General and senior advocate Ravichander, set aside the detention order issued by the Hyderabad police and ordered immediate release of Raja Singh but with conditions.

Listing out the conditions to Usha Bhai's advocate, the High Court ruled that Raja Singh should not take out celebratory/victory rally upon his release; he should not address the media post release and he should also not post any derogatory or inflammatory speech on social media.

The mercurial leader of the BJP was accused of making objectionable comments, hurting the sentiments of a community and triggering massive protests in the Old City. He was first arrested on August 23 and produced before the judge of a Nampally court. However, the request for his remand was rejected by the judge for non-compliance of the requisite procedures.

He was later served a notice under Section 41A and was arrested in connection with old cases under Preventive Detention Act and has since been lodged at the Cherlapally jail. In a quick, damage-control measure, the BJP has also suspended him from the party.

Initially kept in solitary confinement in Manasa Block at the jail, Raja Singh was subsequently shifted to Shradda Block due to high threat perception. The decision was taken by the Telangana Prisons Department after a review of the security parameters. While he was holed up in jail, his wife Usha Bhai carried out persistent efforts for his release. She approached the Telangana High Court with a writ petition besides also meeting Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.