Madras High Court
Mandra vs The State Rep. By The on 31 July, 2023
Author: M.Sundar
Bench: M.Sundar
2023:MHC:3533
H.C.P.No.512 of 2023
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED : 31.07.2023
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.SUNDAR
and
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE R.SAKTHIVEL
H.C.P.No.512 of 2023
Mandra .. Petitioner
Vs
1.The State rep. By the
Secretary to Government,
Home, Prohibition and Excise Department,
Government of Tamil Nadu,
Fort St. George, Chennai -9.
2.The District Collector & District Magistrate,
Thiruvannamalai District, Thiruvannamalai.
3.The Superintendent of Police,
Thiruvannamalai District, Thiruvannamalai.
4.The Superintendent of Prison,
Central Prison, Vellore.
5.The Inspector of Police,
Kannamangalam Police Station,
Thiruvannamalai District. .. Respondents
Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India
praying for issuance of a writ of habeas corpus to call for the records
of the second respondent in connection with order made in
Page Nos.1/9
https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis
H.C.P.No.512 of 2023
proceedings in D.O.No.04/2023-C2 dated 05.01.2023 passed against
petitioner's son namely Kumaravel @ Appu, aged 21 years, son of
Arul, who is now confined at Central Prison, Vellore and quash the
same and direct the respondents to produce the detenu before this
Court and set him at liberty.
For Petitioner : Mr.S.Thirugnanam
For Respondents : Mr.E.Raj Thilak
Additional Public Prosecutor
ORDER
[Order of the Court was made by M.SUNDAR, J.,] When the captioned 'Habeas Corpus Petition' (hereinafter 'HCP' for the sake of convenience and clarity) was listed in the Admission Board on 03.04.2023, this Court made the following order:
'Captioned Habeas Corpus Petition has been filed in this Court on 21.03.2023 inter alia assailing a detention order dated 05.01.2023 bearing reference No.D.O.No.04/2023-C2 made by 'second respondent' [hereinafter 'Detaining Authority' for the sake of convenience and clarity]. To be noted, fifth respondent is the Sponsoring Authority.
2. To be noted, mother of the detenu is the petitioner.
3. Mr.S.Thirugnanam, learned counsel on record for habeas corpus petitioner is before us. Learned counsel for petitioner submits that ground case qua the detenu is for alleged offences under Sections 294(b) and 307 of 'The Indian Penal Code (45 of Page Nos.2/9 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.512 of 2023 1860)' [hereinafter 'IPC' for the sake of convenience and clarity] in Crime No.430 of 2022 on the file of Kannamangalam Police Station.
4. The aforementioned detention order has been made on the premise that the detenu is a 'Goonda' under Section 2(f) of 'The Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of 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 No.14 of 1982)' [hereinafter 'Act 14 of 1982' for the sake of convenience and clarity].
5. The detention order has been assailed inter alia on the ground that 'live and proximate link' between the grounds of detention and purpose of detention had snapped as there is a delay in passing the detention order.
6. Prima facie case made out for admission. Admit. Issue Rule nisi returnable by four weeks.
7. Mr.R.Muniyapparaj, learned Additional Public Prosecutor, State of Tamil Nadu accepts notice for all respondents. List the captioned Habeas Corpus Petition accordingly.'
2. The aforementioned order made in the 03.04.2023 Admission listing shall be read as an integral part and parcel of this order which means that the short forms, short references and abbreviations used in the order in the Admission listing shall be used in the instant order also.
3. There is no adverse case. The ground case which is the sole substratum of the impugned preventive detention order is Crime No.430 of 2022 on the file of Kannamangalam Police Station for Page Nos.3/9 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.512 of 2023 alleged offences under Sections 294(b) and 307 IPC subsequently altered into one under Sections 147, 148, 294(b), 307 IPC and again altered into one under Sections 147, 148, 294(b), 302 IPC. Owing to the nature of the challenge to the impugned preventive detention order, it is not necessary to delve into the factual matrix or be detained further by facts.
4. Mr.S.Thirugnanam, learned counsel on record for petitioner and Mr.E.Raj Thilak, learned State Additional Public Prosecutor for all respondents are before us.
5. As would be evident from the Admission Board order dated 03.04.2023 (more particularly paragraph 5 thereat), at the time of admission, learned counsel for HCP petitioner projected the point that 'live and proximate link' between the grounds of detention and purpose of detention has snapped as there is delay in passing the detention order. Elaborating on the aforementioned point, learned counsel for petitioner submitted that 'live and proximate link' between the grounds of detention and purpose of detention has snapped as date of arrest in the ground case is 22.10.2022 but the Page Nos.4/9 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.512 of 2023 impugned preventive detention order has been made only on 05.01.2023.
6. Mr.E.Raj Thilak, learned State Additional Public Prosecutor, submits to the contrary by saying that materials had to be collected and time was consumed for the same. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and nature of ground case, we find that this explanation of learned State Additional Public Prosecutor is unacceptable.
7. We remind ourselves of Sushanta Kumar Banik's case [Sushanta Kumar Banik Vs. State of Tripura & others reported in 2022 LiveLaw (SC) 813 : 2022 SCC OnLine SC 1333]. To be noted, Banik case law arose under 'Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988' [hereinafter 'PIT NDPS Act' for the sake of brevity] in Tirupura, wherein after considering the proposal by the Sponsoring Authority and after noticing the trajectory the matter took, Hon'ble Supreme Court held that the 'live and proximate link between grounds of detention and purpose of detention snapping' point should be examined on a case to Page Nos.5/9 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.512 of 2023 case basis. Hon'ble Supreme Court has held in Banik case law that this point has two facets. One facet is 'unreasonable delay' and other facet is 'unexplained delay'. We find that the captioned matter falls under latter facet i.e., unexplained delay.
8. To be noted, Banik case has been respectfully followed by this Court in Gomathi Vs.The Principal Secretary to Government and others reported vide Neutral Citation of Madras High Court being 2023/MHC/334, Sadik Basha Yusuf Vs. The State of Tamil Nadu and others reported vide Neutral Citation of Madras High Court being 2023/MHC/733, Sangeetha Vs. The Secretary to the Government and others reported vide Neutral Citation of Madras High Court being 2023:MHC:1110, N.Anitha Vs. The Secretary to Government and others reported vide Neutral Citation of Madras High Court being 2023:MHC:1159 and a series of other orders in HCP cases.
9. To be noted, the sole substratum of the impugned preventive detention order is a solitary case viz., Crime No.430 of 2022 on the file of Kannamangalam Police Station for alleged offence Page Nos.6/9 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.512 of 2023 inter-alia under Sections 294(b) and 307 of IPC subsequently altered into one under Sections 147, 148, 294(b), 307 IPC and again altered into one under Sections 147, 148, 294(b), 302 IPC.
10. Before concluding, we also remind ourselves that preventive detention is not a punishment and HCP is a high prerogative writ.
11. Ergo, the sequitur is, captioned HCP is allowed. Impugned preventive detention order dated 05.01.2023 bearing reference D.O.No.04/2023-C2 made by the second respondent is set aside and the detenu Thiru.Kumaravel @ Appu, aged 21 years, Son of Thiru.Arul, is directed to be set at liberty forthwith, if not required in connection with any other case / cases. There shall be no order as to costs.
(M.S.,J.) (R.S.V.,J.)
31.07.2023
Index : Yes
Neutral Citation : Yes
mmi
P.S: Registry to forthwith communicate this order to Jail authorities in Central Prison, Vellore. Page Nos.7/9 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.512 of 2023 To
1.The Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Fort St. George, Chennai -9.
2.The District Collector & District Magistrate, Thiruvannamalai District, Thiruvannamalai.
3.The Superintendent of Police, Thiruvannamalai District, Thiruvannamalai.
4.The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison, Vellore.
5.The Inspector of Police, Kannamangalam Police Station, Thiruvannamalai District.
6.The Public Prosecutor, High Court, Madras.
Page Nos.8/9 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis H.C.P.No.512 of 2023 M.SUNDAR, J., and R.SAKTHIVEL, J., mmi H.C.P.No.512 of 2023 31.07.2023 Page Nos.9/9 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis