Stella v. Additional Chief Secretary To Government
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED 06.11.2023
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MR . JUSTICE S.S.SUNDAR AND THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SUNDER MOHAN H.C.P.No.1125/2023 Stella ..
Petitioner
Versus
1.The Additional Chief Secretary to the Government Home, Prohibition & Excise Department Secretariat, Chennai 600 009.
2.The Commissioner of Police Greater Chennai.
3.The Superintendent of Prison Central Prison, Puzhal, Chennai-66.
4.The Inspector of Police B1 North Beach Police Station Chennai.
.. Respondents Prayer:- Habeas Corpus Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying for a Writ of Habeas Corpus calling for the records in
connection with the order of detention passed by the 2nd respondent dated 06.06.2023 in Memo No.214/BCDFGISSSV/2023 against the petitioner's husband Vincent Paul, male, aged about 53 years, son of Alexander, who is confined at Central Prison, Puzhal, and set aside the same and direct the respondents to produce the detenu before this Court and set him at liberty. For Petitioner :
Ms.M.Kokila For Respondents :
Mr.E.Raj Thilak Additional Public Prosecutor assisted by Mr.Aravind .C
O R D E R
[Order of the Court was made by S.S.SUNDAR, J.] (1)The petitioner, wife of the detenu Vincent Paul, aged 53 years, son of Alexander, has come forward with this petition challenging the detention order passed by the 2nd respondent dated 06.06.2023 slapped on her husband, branding him as "Drug Offencer" under the Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982.
(2)Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and 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 the bail order in the similar case relied on by
the Detaining Authority to arrive at the subjective satisfaction that the detenu is likely to be released on bail in the 4th adverse case and in the ground case, was obtained where the learned Public Prosecutor had not objected for grant of bail to the accused therein. (4)On a perusal of the Grounds of Detention, it is seen that the Detaining Authority had relied upon the order of bail passed in a similar case in Crl.MP.No.6622/2018 by the Principal Special Court under EC&NDPS Act, Chennai, to arrive at the subjective satisfaction that the detenu is likely to be released on bail in the 4th adverse case and in the ground case. However, bail was granted to the accused in the similar case in Crl.MP.No.662/2018 as the learned Special Public Prosecutor has made an endorsement in the bail petition that the accused therein may be granted bail on any condition. It is in the said circumstances, this Court finds that the subjective satisfaction arrived at by the Detaining Authority suffers from non-application of mind. Hence, on the above ground, the Detention Order is liable to be quashed.
(5)The Hon'ble Supreme Court, in the case of Rekha Vs. State of Tamil Nadu through Secretary to Government and Another reported in 2011
[5] SCC 244, has considered a case where it is stated that in the grounds of detention that relatives of detenu are taking action to take him on bail in the criminal case in which the detenu was in remand and that in similar cases, bail was granted by Courts. Since no details had been given about the alleged similar cases in which bail was allegedly granted by the Court concerned, it is held by Hon'ble Supreme Court that in the absence of details, the statement which is mere ipse dixit, cannot be relied upon and that itself is sufficient to vitiate the detention order. When the subjective satisfaction was irrational or there was non-application of mind, the Hon'ble Supreme Court held that the order of detention is liable to be quashed. It is relevant to extract paragraphs No.
10 and 11 of the said judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court:- ''10.
course, it could be argued that there is likelihood of the accused being released on bail, because it is the normal practice of most courts that if a co-accused has been granted bail and his case is on the same footing as that of the petitioner, then the petitioner is ordinarily granted bail. However, the respondent authority should have given details about the alleged bail order in similar cases, which has not been done in the present case. A mere ipse dixit statement in the grounds of detention cannot sustain the detention order and has to be ignored.
11. In our opinion, the detention order in question only contains ipse dixit regarding the alleged imminent possibility of the accused coming out on bail and there was no reliable material to this effect. Hence, the detention order in question cannot be sustained.''
(6) In view of the ratio laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court and in view of the aforesaid reason, this Court is of the view that the detention order is liable to be quashed.
(7)Accordingly, the detention order passed by the 2nd respondent dated 06.06.2023 in Memo No.214/BCDFGISSSV/2023 is hereby set aside and
the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed. The detenu is directed to be set at liberty forthwith unless he is required in connection with any other case. [S.S.S.R., J.] [S.M, J.] 06.11.2023 AP To 1.The Additional Chief Secretary to the Government Home, Prohibition & Excise Department Secretariat, Chennai 600 009.
2.The Commissioner of Police Greater Chennai.
3.The Superintendent of Prison Central Prison, Puzhal, Chennai-66.
4.The Inspector of Police B1 North Beach Police Station Chennai.
5.The Public Prosecutor High Court, Madras.
S.S.SUNDAR, J., AND SUNDER MOHAN, J., AP H.C.P.No.1125/2023 06.11.2023