Latha v. State Of Tamil Nadu
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 26.07.2019 Coram The Hon'ble Mr. Justice M.M.SUNDRESH and The Hon'ble Mr. Justice M. NIRMAL KUMAR H.C.P. No.1165 of 2019 Latha ... Petitioner -vs1.State of Tamil Nadu Rep. By its Secretary, Prohibition and Excise Department, Fort St. George, Chennai - 600 009.
2.The District Collector and District Magistrate Cuddalore Cuddalore District.
3.The Inspector of Police Sozhatharam Police Station Cuddalore District ... Respondents Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Habeas Corpus calling for the records of the detention order C3/DO/22/2019, dated 29.03.2019 on the file of the second respondent herein, quash the same and direct the respondents herein to produce the body of the detenu the petitioner's husband Sekar S/o Rajangam Hindu aged about 35 years who is now confined in Central Prison, Cuddalore before this Court.
For Petitioner : Mr.R.Thamaraiselvan For Respondents : Mr.C.Iyyappa Raj Addl.Public Prosecutor
ORDER
[Order of the Court was made by M.M.SUNDRESH, J.] The petitioner is the wife of the detenu Sekar, S/o.
Rajangam, aged about 35 years. The detenu has been detained by the second respondent by his order in C3/DO/22/2019 dated 29.03.2019, holding him to be a "Goonda", as contemplated under Section 2(f) of Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982. The said order is under challenge in this Habeas Corpus Petition. 2.We have heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents. We have also perused the records produced by the Detaining Authority.
3.Though many grounds have been raised in the petition, 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. According to the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, the sponsoring authority has stated in the Arrest Memo of the Booklet furnished to the detenu, that the arrest of the detenu has been intimated to the family member of the detenu. However, there is no material to substantiate the service of arrest intimation stated to have been made to the family member of the detenu. Therefore, it is stated that the detenu was deprived of making an effective representation in the absence of furnishing of full particulars by the detaining authority.
Hence, it is stated that the Detaining Authority has passed the impugned detention order in total non-application of mind. 4.Per contra, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor would submit that the arrest of the detenu has been intimated to the family member of the detenu through SMS. However we find that there are no material particulars to substantiate the same. This Court has also taken the similar view in such cases that the detention order cannot be sustained.
5.As evidenced from the document of the Booklet furnished to us, a mere endorsement is made by the authorities to the effect that the arrest intimation has been informed to the family member of the detenu through SMS but no materials have been furnished to substantiate that the said intimation was sent through Thapal or Registered post or as per the procedure laid down. Therefore, non-furnishing of details given to the relatives of the detenu would amount to deprivation of the right of the detenu to make an effective representation and the same would vitiate the order of detention and the same cannot be sustained in the eye of law.
6.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. The impugned detention order is therefore liable to be quashed.
7.In the result, the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed and the order of detention in C3/DO/22/2019 dated 29.03.2019, passed by the second respondent is set aside. The detenu, namely, Sekar, S/o. Rajangam, aged about 35 years, is directed to be released forthwith unless his detention is required in connection with any other case.
Sd/- Assistant Registrar (Insp.cell) //True Copy// Sub Assistant Registrar mmi/ssm To 1.The Secretary, Prohibition and Excise Department, Fort St. George, Chennai - 600 009.
2.The District Collector and District Magistrate Cuddalore Cuddalore District.
3.The Inspector of Police Sozhatharam Police Station Cuddalore District 4.The Superintendent, Central Prison, Cuddalore.
5.The Joint Secretary to Government (public law & order) Fort st.George, chennai 9 6.The Public Prosecutor, High Court, Madras.
CO(Spd) CB(03/09/2019) H.C.P. No.1165 of 2019