Lawyers representing MyWatch chairperson R Sri Sanjeevan today filed a habeas corpus application challenging his 21 days' detention under the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca), and seeking his immediate release.

Habeas corpus is an order to bring a jailed person before a judge or court to find out if that person should really be in jail.

The application was filed after they received a letter from a Kuala Lumpur High Court judge dated yesterday, rejecting their application for a review of the magistrate's decision to allow the detention under Poca.

Sanjeevan named ASP K Poonam and inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar as the respondents.

Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, who filed the habeus corpus application on Sanjeevan's behalf, told reporters today that a hearing date for it will be fixed on Monday.

The habeas corpus application was supported by Sanjeevan's wife K Kastoori's affidavit, stating that the detention under Poca is unconstitutional.

She sought her husband's release on the grounds that the detention is illegal and against the existing law.

On Wednesday, Sanjeevan's lawyer filed an application for review of the magistrate's decision to grant the detention.

Gobind had on Wednesday complained that Poca was wrongly used as the present investigations on him do not fall under any registrable category as stipulated under Article 149 of the Federal Constitution.

Deputy registrar of the High Court, Noor Aini Yusof, wrote a letter dated yesterday that the application was brought to Judicial Commissioner Ab Karim Ab Rahman's attention.

Noor Aini said Ab Karim found no error or improper procedure in the magistrate's decision to grant the detention under Poca.

Sanjeevan was first arrested on June 22, on allegations of extorting RM25,000 from a gambling den operator.

Over the past few weeks, Sanjeevan had been released and rearrested eight times for separate investigations under Section 384 and 503 of the Penal Code, which deal with extortion and criminal intimidation respectively.

His ninth and most recent arrest on July 10 is under Poca, which allows for detention without trial for up to two years.