Prayagraj, Mar 24 (IANS): The Allahabad High Court has reserved its order on a habeas corpus writ petition seeking to know the whereabouts of the two missing minor sons of jailed mafia don Atiq Ahmed.

Atiq's wife Shaista Parveen had filed the petition alleging that their two minor sons -- Ahzan and Aaban -- were arrested by the police on February 24 after the killing of Umesh Pal and their whereabouts are not known since then.

Atiq, Shaista, his brother Ashraf and two sons are named as accused in the case.

The order was passed by a division bench comprising Justices Vivek Kumar Birla and Surendra Singh after hearing submissions by counsels for the petitioner and state government.

Appearing on behalf of the petitioner, senior advocate Daya Shankar Mishra argued that the life and liberty of Atiq's two minor sons are in danger.

Therefore, he requested the court that a direction be issued that they (minors) be produced before the court and set at liberty.

A preliminary objection was raised on behalf of additional advocate general Manish Goyal, who represented the state government, that an application under section 97 of criminal procedure code (CrPC) was already pending before the CJM Allahabad and hence the habeas corpus writ petition was not maintainable.