A lawyer representing the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) filed a fresh application before the Malaysian high court in Kuala Lumpur within hours of another bench rejecting an appeal seeking the release of two of the five top leaders jailed under the stringent Internal Security Act (ISA).
Lawyer Karpal Singh filed two applications on Wednesday, one on behalf of M Manoharan, 46 and V Ganabatirau, 34, who are the legal advisors of Hindraf, seeking their release.
Singh was accompanied by Manoharan's wife S Pushpaneela and the couple's 10-year-old son, M Hari Haran, and Ganabatirau's younger brother, V Papparaidu.
In their supporting affidavits, Pushpaneela and Papparaidu said that the arrests and detention of Manoharan and Ganabatirau were unlawful because they were not done in accordance with the law and contravened the constitution on the liberty of a person.
They said that the ISA provided for initial arrest and detention for up to 60 days for investigative purposes, and not directly for detention for up to two years.
The high court fixed next Wednesday to hear both applications, the New Straits Times said on Thursday.
Five prominent Hindraf activists were detained last week on sedition charges by the Malaysian government under the controversial ISA that allows for detention without trial.
{{/usCountry}}Five prominent Hindraf activists were detained last week on sedition charges by the Malaysian government under the controversial ISA that allows for detention without trial.
{{/usCountry}}The five have been accused of organising a massive anti-government protest on November 25 demanding more rights for the community as well as in support of a $4 trillion lawsuit filed in London by Hindraf this August, demanding that Britain compensate Malaysian Indians for bringing their ancestors to the country as indentured labourers.