Madras High Court
Ravichandran vs The Principal Secretary To Government on 27 June, 2024
Author: M.S.Ramesh
Bench: M.S. Ramesh
H.C.P.No.944 of 2024
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED : 27.06.2024
CORAM :
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M.S. RAMESH
and
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SUNDER MOHAN
H.C.P.No.944 of 2024
Ravichandran ... Petitioner
Vs.
1.The Principal Secretary to Government
Home, Prohibition and Excise Department
Secretariat
Chennai – 600 009
2.The District Collector and District Magistrate
Viluppuram District
Viluppuram
3.The Superintendent of Police
Viluppuram District
4.The Superintendent
Central Prison
Cuddalore
5.The Inspector of Police
Viluppuram Taluk Police Station
Viluppuram District ... Respondents
Page 1 of 7
https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis
H.C.P.No.944 of 2024
PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to
issue a Writ of Habeas Corpus, calling for the records relating to the
detention order passed by the second respondent pertaining to the order
made in Rc.No.C2/69187/2023 dated 10.11.2023 in detain the detenu
under 2 (f) of Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982, as a GOONDA and quash the
same and direct the respondent to produce the detenu KARTHIK son of
RAVICHANDRAN, aged about 22 years, who is detained at Central
Prison, Cuddalore before this Court and set him at liberty.
For Petitioner : Mr.G.Nirmalkrishnan
For Respondents : Mr.A.Gokulakrishnan
Additional Public Prosecutor
ORDER
M.S.RAMESH, J.
AND SUNDER MOHAN, J.
The petitioner herein, who is the father of the detenu viz. Thiru.Karthik, aged about 22 years, S/o.Ravichandiran, has come forward with this petition challenging the detention order passed by the 2nd respondent dated 10.11.2023 slapped on his son, branding him as "GOONDA" under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Page 2 of 7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.944 of 2024 Bootleggers, Cyber Law Offenders, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand Offenders, Sexual Offenders, Slum Grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982 [Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982].
2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, as well as the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents.
3. Though several grounds are raised in the petition, the learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that there is an inordinate delay in passing the order of detention.
4. In the instant case, the detenu was arrested on 02.10.2023 and thereafter, the detention order came to be passed on 10.11.2023. This fact is not disputed by the learned Additional Public Prosecutor.
5. In the case of 'Sushanta Kumar Banik Vs. State of Tripura', reported in '2022 LiveLaw (SC) 813', when there was an inordinate delay from the date of proposal till passing of the detention order and likewise, between the date of detention order and the actual arrest, the Hon'ble Page 3 of 7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.944 of 2024 Supreme Court had held that the live and proximate link, between the grounds and the purpose of detention, stands snapped in arresting the detenu. The relevant observation of the Hon'ble Supreme Court is extracted hereunder:-
“20. It is manifestly clear from a conspectus of the above decisions of this Court, that the underlying principle is that if there is unreasonable delay between the date of the order of detention & actual arrest of the detenu and in the same manner from the date of the proposal and passing of the order of detention, such delay unless satisfactorily explained throws a considerable doubt on the genuineness of the requisite subjective satisfaction of the detaining authority in passing the detention order and consequently render the detention order bad and invalid because the “live and proximate link” between the grounds of detention and the purpose of detention is snapped in arresting the detenu. A question whether the delay is unreasonable and stands unexplained depends on the facts and circumstances of each case.”
6. Drawing inspiration from the judgment in Sushanta Kumar Banik's case, a co-ordinate Bench of this Court in the case of 'Gomathi Vs. Principal Secretary to Government and Others', reported in '2023 Page 4 of 7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.944 of 2024 SCC OnLine Mad 6332', had held that when there is an inordinate delay from the date of arrest/date of proposal till the order of detention, the live and proximate link between them would also stand snapped and thereby, had quashed the detention order on this ground.
7. In yet another case i.e., in 'Nagaraj Vs. State of Tamil Nadu', reported in '(2018) 3 MWN (Cri) 428', this Court had held that the delay of 36 days in passing the detention order after the arrest of the detenu would snap the live and proximate link between the grounds and purpose of detention. Hence, in view of the unexplained and inordinate delay in passing the order of detention, after the arrest of the detenu, the detention order in the present case, is liable to be quashed.
8. Accordingly, the detention order passed by the 2nd respondent on 10.11.2023 in Rc.No.C2/69187/2023 is hereby set aside and the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed. The detenu viz., Thiru.Karthik, aged about 22 years, S/o.Ravichandiran, is directed to be set at liberty forthwith, unless his confinement is required in connection with any other case.
Page 5 of 7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.944 of 2024 [M.S.R., J] [S.M., J] 27.06.2024 kas Page 6 of 7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.944 of 2024 M.S.RAMESH, J. and SUNDER MOHAN, J. kas To.
1.The Principal Secretary to Government Home, Prohibition and Excise Department Secretariat Chennai – 600 009
2.The District Collector and District Magistrate Viluppuram District Viluppuram
3.The Superintendent of Police Viluppuram District
4.The Superintendent Central Prison Cuddalore
5.The Inspector of Police Viluppuram Taluk Police Station Viluppuram District
6.The Public Prosecutor High Court of Madras Chennai 600 104 H.C.P.No.944 of 2024 27.06.2024 Page 7 of 7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis