In Manubhai Ratilal Patel v. State of Gujarat, an order of
remand was challenged before this Court. After referring to a
large number of judgments, which we are not referring in detail
since they have all been considered in this judgment, this Court
held as follows:
In Manubhai Ratilal Patel v. State of Gujarat & Ors [2013 1 SCC 314], regarding writ of habeas corpus not entertainable when petitioner is in judicial custody, the Apex observed and held
"32. Coming to the case at hand, it is evincible that the arrest had taken place a day prior to the passing of order of stay. It is also manifest that the order of remand was passed by the learned Magistrate after considering the allegations in the FIR but not in a routine or mechanical manner. It has to be borne in mind that the effect of the order of the High Court regarding stay of investigation could only have bearing on the action of the investigating agency. The order of remand which is a judicial act, as we perceive, does not suffer from any infirmity. The only ground that was highlighted before the High Court as well as before this Court is that once there is stay of investigation, the order of remand is sensitively susceptible and, therefore, as a logical corollary, the detention is unsustainable. It is worthy to note that the investigation had already commenced and as a resultant consequence, the accused was arrested. Thus, we are disposed to think that the order of remand cannot be regarded as untenable in law. It is well accepted principle that a writ of habeas corpus is not to be entertained when a person is committed to judicial custody or police custody by the competent court by an order which prima facie does not appear to be without jurisdiction or passed in an absolutely mechanical manner or wholly illegal.
In Manubhai Ratilal Patel through Ushaben Vs. State of
Gujarat and others : 2013(1) SCC 314 Hon'ble Supreme Court
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concluded in para No.32 of its judgment as under :-
7. Indisputably, respondent No.1/Neeraj Singal was sent
to judicial custody in connection with the alleged offences
under Section 447 of the Act in terms of a judicial order
passed by the jurisdictional court. That order was in force
when the writ petition was filed and the interim order to
release respondent No.1/Neeraj Singal came to be passed.
The High Court issued its interim directions, prima facie, in
the teeth of the decisions of this Court in Saurabh Kumar v.
Jailor, Koneila Jail and Another1 and Manubhai Ratilal
Patel vs. State of Gujarat and Others2. Further, the reasons
assigned by the High Court in the impugned order for
grant of interim relief are not confirmed to the issue of the
validity of the stated sections of the Act or concerning
grant of bail but prima facie impact upon issues
concerning matters of investigation and lodging of the
complaint and/or police report in respect of offences
under the Act."
Therefore, to the extent that the judgments in Amrutbhai
Shambubhai Patel (supra), Athul Rao (supra) and Bikash Ranjan
Rout (supra) have held to the contrary, they stand overruled.