Riyaj Bathiudeen files FR petition challenging arrest & detention

Riyaj Bathiudeen, brother of MP Rishad Bathiudeen, has filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition with the Supreme Court challenging the Criminal Investigation Department’s move to arrest and detain him over alleged links to the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.

The petitioner, claiming that the CID arrested and detained him without any reasonable grounds, seeks the Supreme Court to rule that the arrest is unlawful and to order the CID to release him from detention.

The petition, filed through his legal counsel, has named the Director of CID, Chief Inspector of CID, DIG in charge of the CID, Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney General as its respondents.

Riyaj Bathiudeen says the CID first arrested him on April 14, 2020 in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. However, the CID, after having investigated all relevant matters, had released him as there were no reasonable grounds to file a case against him, the parliamentarian’s brother pointed out.

He alleges that the CID took him into custody again on April 24, 2021 without citing any justification for the arrest.

Riyaj Bathiudeen has thereby sought a Supreme Court order ruling that his fundamental rights were violated by the CID’s move.

He went on to request the Supreme Court to order the respondents to release him on any condition and to issue an interim order suspending the detention order obtained under the provisions of the PTA.

Riyaj Bathiudeen’s application comes a day after his brother, MP Rishad Bathiudeen filed an FR petition with the Supreme Court against his arrest and detention.

The SJB parliamentarian was also arrested by the CID on the same day. The duo was initially detained for 72 hours under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). However, the CID later obtained permission to detain the two brothers for 90 days for interrogations.