Bandi Sanjay arrest: BJP files habeas corpus petition in Telangana High Court

HYDERABAD: The BJP legal cell on Wednesday filed a habeas corpus petition in Telangana High Court challenging the arrest of their Telangana unit president Bandi Sanjay who was taken into custody by the police in Karimanagar late on Tuesday night.

The BJP named six persons – Telangana Home Secretary, Director General of Police, Commissioners of Police of Warangal and Rachakonda and the Inspectors of Bommala Ramaram – as the respondents in its petition. The party alleged that all requisite regulations and norms had been violated by the police while arresting Bandi Sanjay.

Neither the family members of the Karimnagar MP nor the party activists had been informed about the arrest and in relation to which case.

There is some discussion in legal circles if the habeas corpus petition would be maintainable since Bandi Sanjay was being shown on TV during his shifting from Bommala Ramaram police station and the medical examination conducted on him at Palakurthi Government Hospital.

BJP's former MLC Ramachandra Rao, while speaking to Newstap, maintained that the arrest was illegal as an MP cannot be arrested when the Parliament is in session. "The Lok Sabha Speaker must be notified before an MP's arrest. The arrest is illegal and, if proven so, can attract compensation," he said while referring to the case of former Jammu and Kashmir legislator Bhim Singh vs the State police of 1985. The Telangana High Court, which admitted the habeas corpus petition, will hear it in the first hour of Thursday, Ramachandra Rao added.

On whether a habeas Corpus petition is maintainable in Bandi Sanjay’s case, he answered in the affirmative and said that the BJP legal team would mainly argue on the illegality of Bandi Sanjay’s arrest and failure to follow the due procedure like serving notice under relevant provisions.

Meanwhile, the central leadership of the BJP has reportedly enquired about Bandi Sanjay’s arrest. According to some reports, BJP National President J P Nadda had directed the state leadership and the party’s legal cell to leave no stone unturned and fight the case out in the courts of law.