( 1 ) THIS writ petition is filed to issue a writ of habeas corpus to search for one person by name Masi wherever he is held by the police in the State of Andhra Pradesh and to produce him before this Court and set him at liberty and pass appropriate orders.

( 2 ) THE writ petition is filed by Prof. S. Seshaiah, who is working as a Professor in the Department of Law in Sri. Krishnadevaraya University, Ananthapur based upon a newspaper report dated 12-10-1993 published in the Indian Express. The petitioner alleged in his affidavit that one Vijaya, 17 years old, tribal girl, who belongs to a remote village called athiyur near Gingee of Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu State, is said to have been raped by police men of Pondicherry on 29/07/1993; that for reasons unknown the father of the victim girl by name Masi was forcibly taken away to Tirupathi by the police men of Andhra Pradesh on the night of 2-10-1993 and therefore requested this Court to issue a writ of habeas corpus.

( 3 ) THE Superintendent of Police, Chittoor District filed two counter-affidavits. In the first counter-affidavit sworn on 24-10-1993, he stated that the Andhra Pradesh Police from Chittoor Di