Manimegalai v. The Government Of Tamil Nadu

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED : 17.08.2015

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE DR.JUSTICE S.TAMILVANAN and THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.T.SELVAM H.C.P.No.1203/2015 Manimegalai .. Petitioner/Daughter of the detenue Vs.

1.The Government of Tamil Nadu, Rep. by its Secretary, Home, Prohibition and Excise (XVI) Department, Fort St. George, Chennai-9.

2.The District Collector and District Magistrate, Coimbatore District.

.. Respondents Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying for issuance of a writ of habeas corpus calling for the records in detention order in Cr.MP.No.20/D.O./2015/E1 dated 06.04.2015 on the file of the second respondent and quash the same and direct the respondents herein to produce the body of the petitioner's father Chokkanathan, son of Mayathevar, aged 49 years, now confined in Central Prison, Coimbatore before this Court and set him at liberty.

For Petitioner :

Mrs.R.Subhadra Devi For RR1&2 :

Mr.M.Maharaja,APP

ORDER

[Order of the Court was made by S.TAMILVANAN, J.] Challenge is made to the order of detention passed by the second respondent vide Proceedings in Cr.MP.No.20/D.O./2015/E1 dated 06.04.2015, whereby the detenu, by name Chokkanathan, S/o.Mayathevar, aged about 49 years, was ordered to be detained under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand Offenders, Slum-grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982 (Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982) branding her as a "Drug Offender".

2.Though many grounds have been raised in the petition, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, confines his argument only in respect of non-application of mind on the part of the detaining authority in passing the order of detention. 3.According to the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, the detenu is in remand in the ground case in Cr.No.100/2015 registered by the Thudiyalur Police Station and the bail application filed by the detenu in C.MP.No.159/2015 before the learned Essential Commodities Special Judge Court, Coimbatore was dismissed on 23.03.2015.

Again, he filed another bail application in C.MP.No.205/2015 before the learned Essential Commodities Special Judge Court, Coimbatore and the same was pending as on the date of the passing of the detention order. The Detaining Authority has stated that there is a possibility of the detenu coming out on bail in the ground case and that if the detenu comes out on bail he will indulge in such further activities, which are prejudicial to the maintenance of public health and public order. But, the Detaining Authority has not specifically stated that there is a "REAL POSSIBILITY" or "IMMINENT POSSIBILITY" of the detenu coming out on bail in the ground case. He adds that absence of the said expression in the grounds of detention would vitiate the order of detention.

The learned counsel would add that admittedly, in this case, the bail application filed by the detenu in the ground case is pending. When a bail application is pending, then there is no presumption that the detenu would be granted bail. The similar case particulars referred to and relied upon by the detaining authority where bail is granted, are not that of the co-accused so as to compare that case with that of the detenu. If that be so, there is no imminent possibility of the detenu coming out on bail on the basis of the bail granted in the similar case. No cogent materials are available before the Detaining Authority to conclude / to apprehend that the detenu would likely to get bail in the ground case. The inference has to be drawn from the available material on record.

In the absence of such material on record, the mere ipse dixit of the detaining authority is not sufficient to sustain the order of the detention. Hence, it is stated that the Detaining Authority has passed the impugned detention order in total non-application of mind. In support of his contention that the expression in explicit terms about the imminent possibility of the detenu coming out on bail should be there in the order of detention and the absence would vitiate the order of detention, he relies on the judgments of the Hon'ble Apex Court reported in [a] 2006 [1] MLJ [Crl.] 539, [T.V.SARAVANAN @ S.A.R.PRASANNA VENKATACHARIAR CHATURVEDI V. STATE OF TAMILNADU THROUGH SECRETARY AND ANOTHER] and [b]2005 [1] CTC 577 [VELMURUGAN @ VELU Vs. THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE].

4.Per contra, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor would submit that the order of detention has been passed on cogent and sufficient materials and the same cannot be interfered with at the instance of the petitioner. Therefore, he submits that the Habeas

Corpus Petition does not merit any consideration and the same is liable to be dismissed.

5.We have heard the learned counsel for both sides with regard to the facts and citation.

6.It is seen from paragraph No.5 of the Grounds of Detention that the detenu is in remand in the ground case and the bail application filed by the detenu in C.MP.No.159/2015 before the learned Essential Commodities Special Judge Court, Coimbatore was dismissed on 23.03.2015. Again, he filed another bail application in C.MP.No.205/2015 before the learned Essential Commodities Special Judge Court, Coimbatore and the same is pending as on the date of passing of the detention order. But, as evidenced from the above ground, the Detaining Authority has not stated specifically that there is an "IMMINENT POSSIBILITY" or "REAL POSSIBILITY" of the detenu coming out on bail. This would show that the Detaining Authority passed the order of detention mechanically and without application of mind and the facts do not justify the detention.

The particulars of the similar case referred to are not that of the coaccused so as to compare and arrive at a conclusion that on the basis of the said similar case, the bail applications to be filed by the detenu would also be considered. Moreover, the expression, in explicit terms about the imminent possibility of the detenu coming out on bail is absent. If that be so, the absence of the said expression would certainly vitiate the order of detention as held in 2005 [1] CTC 577 [cited supra].

Therefore, the subjective satisfaction arrived at by the detaining authority that if the detenu is released on bail, he will indulge in similar activities that are prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies of commodities essential to the community, would be a mere ipse dixit and that would vitiate the order of detention and the same is indicative of total nonapplication of mind on the part of the Detaining Authority. Therefore, the impugned order is passed on mere Ipse-dixit and the order of detention cannot be sustained in the eye of law. 7.In this connection it is useful to refer the judgment of the Hon'ble Apex Court relied on by the learned counsel for the petitioner.

[a]In 2006 [1] MLJ [Crl.] 539, [T.V.SARAVANAN @ S.A.R.PRASANNA VENKATACHARIAR CHATURVEDI V. STATE OF TAMILNADU THROUGH SECRETARY AND ANOTHER] , wherein the Hon'ble Apex Court has held as follows: "The Courts had rejected the bail applications moved by the appellant and there was no material whatsoever to apprehend that he was likely to move a bail application or that there was imminent possibility of the prayer for bail being granted. The "imminent possibility" of the appellant coming out on bail is mere ipse dixit of the detaining authority unsupported by any

material whatsoever.

There was no cogent material before the detaining authority on the basis of which the detaining authority could be satisfied that the detenu was likely to be released on bail. The inference has to be drawn from the available material on record, in the absence of such material on record, the mere ipse dixit of the detaining authority is not sufficient to sustain the order of detention." [b]In 2005 (1) CTC 577 (Velmurugan @ Velu vs. The Commissioner of Police), it has been held by the Division Bench of this Court as follows:

"3.It is settled law as laid down by the Supreme Court in the decisions Kamarunnisa V. Union of India, 1991 [1] SCC 128 : 1991 SCC [Cri.] 88 and Rivadeneyta Ricardo Augustin V. Government of Delhi, 1994 Supp. [1] SCC 597 : 1994 SCC [Cri.] 354 ; that unless there is a clear expression by the detaining authority in the grounds of detention with reference to the imminent possibility of the detenu being released on bail by filing bail application, the detaining authority would not choose to pass the detention order.

In order to prevent the detenu from committing the acts, which would be disturbance to public order and public health, the detaining authority shall consider the materials and on the basis of subjective satisfaction that there is imminent possibility of the detenu coming out on bail or likelihood of the detenu being released on bail, the detaining authority may pass such an order under Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982. When such an essential requirement, namely, the imminent possibility of the detenu coming out on bail, is absent, it has to be held that the order of detention is vitiated.

4.On going through the relevant paragraph of the grounds of detention, we only notice that ther is a mere reference of the possibility of the detenu coming out on bail. Admittedly, the expression, in explicit terms about the imminent possibility of the detenu coming out on bail, is absent. In the absence of such expression in the grounds of detention, we are to conclude that the impugned order of detention is liable to be set aside."

8.It is a trite law that personal liberty protected under Article 21 is so sacrosanct and so high in the scale of Constitutional values that it is the obligation of the detaining authority to show that the impugned detention meticulously accords with the procedure established by law. Preventive detention is preventive and not punitive. When ordinary law of the land is sufficient to deal with, taking recourse to the preventive detention law is illegal.

9.In the light of the above facts and law, we have no hesitation in quashing the order of detention on the above mentioned grounds. 10.Accordingly, the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed and the impugned detention order is set aside. The detenue is directed to be released forthwith unless his presence is required in connection with any other case.

-s/dAssistant Registrar(CO) dt:11/09/2015 True Copy Sub-Assistant Registrar To 1.Teh Secretary The Government of Tamil Nadu, Home, Prohibition and Excise (XVI) Department, Fort St. George, Chennai-9.

2.The District Collector and District Magistrate, Coimbatore District.

3.The Public Prosecutor, High Court, Madras.

4.The Superintendent of Central Prison Coimbatore.

5.The Joint Secretary to Government Public Law & Order Fort St.George, Chennai-9 H.C.P.No.1203/2015 aa11/09/2015