Kochi | The Kerala High Court on Tuesday set aside the preventive detention of BJP Thiruvananthpuram Corporation councillor R Sugathan and ordered his release from the Viyyur central jail.

A bench of justices Anil K Narendran and Muralee Krishna S gave the relief to the BJP councillor on a plea moved by his wife.

Sugathan was sent to preventive detention in Viyyur under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA), 2007 for six months from June 8.

He was sent to preventive detention as he was involved in several criminal cases.

The court said that the detention order of June 8 by the District Collector of Thiruvananthapuram was issued "in a casual manner without proper application of mind or subjective satisfaction." It, therefore, set aside the detention order and the June 21 and July 6 orders of the state government approving and confirming it, respectively.