Madras High CourtHCP/1592/2025allowed

Mani v. The Secretary To Government

2025-08-29Honourable Mr Justice M.S. Ramesh,Honourable Mr.Justice V. Lakshminarayanan7 pages

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED : 29.08.2025 CORAM :

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M.S. RAMESH AND THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE V.LAKSHMINARAYANAN Mani ... Petitioner Vs.

1.The Secretary Secretary to Government Home, Prohibition and Excise (XVI) Department Secretariat, Chennai-600 009.

2.The Commissioner of Police / Detaining Authority Office of the Commissioner of Police Coimbatore City 3.The Superintendent of Prison Central Prison at Coimbatore Gandhipuram, Coimbatore - 18 4.The Inspector of Police D-1. Ramanathapuram Police Coimbatore District ... Respondents Prayer: Habeas Corpus Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying for the issuance of Writ of Habeas Corpus, to call for the records in detention order in C.No.72/G/IS/2025 dated 23.04.2025 on the file of the 2nd respondent and set aside the same and direct the respondents herein to produce the son of the petitioner / detenu

M.Karthick, S/o.Mani, aged 29 years, now confined in Central Prison at Coimbatore before this Court and set him at liberty. For Petitioner : Mr.R.Subadra Devi For Respondents : Mr.A.Damodaran Additional Public Prosecutor Assisted by M.Arifa Thasneem Advocate

ORDER

M.S.RAMESH, J.

and V.LAKSHMINARAYANAN, J.

The petitioner, who is the father of the detenu viz., M.Karthick, Male, aged about 29 years, S/o.Mani, confined at Central prison, Coimbatore, has come forward with this petition challenging the detention order passed by the second respondent dated 23.04.2025 slapped on his son, branding him as "GOONDA" under 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].

2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents.

3. Though several grounds have been raised by the learned counsel for the petitioner, the detention order is liable to be quashed on the sole ground that the subjective satisfaction of the Detaining Authority regarding the possibility of the detenu coming out on bail by relying upon the bail order granted to the accused in a similar case, suffers from nonapplication of mind.

4. On a perusal, it is seen that in paragraph 8 of the Grounds of Detention, the Detaining Authority has stated that there is a possibility of the detenu coming out on bail in the ground case since in a similar case i.e. in C.M.P.No.1728 of 2024, bail was granted to the accused therein on 16.08.2024. On a perusal of the said order, in page No.38 of the Booklet in Volume II, this Court finds that the said order relates to release of the accused on bail u/s.167[2] of Cr.P.C. and the bail was granted to the accused therein since he had been in prison for more than 62 days and not on merits. Therefore, it is not a similar case and the subjective satisfaction of the Detaining Authority, regarding the possibility of the detenu coming out on bail suffers from non-application of mind, which vitiates the detention order. Hence, on this 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 dealt with a situation where the Detention Order is passed without an application of mind. In case, any of the reasons stated in the order of detention is non-existent or a material information is wrongly assumed, that will 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 paragraph Nos.10 and 11 of the said judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court:- "10.

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 facts, this Court is of the view that the detention order is liable to be quashed.

7. Accordingly, the detention order passed by the second respondent, in C.No.72/G/IS/2025, dated 23.04.2025, is hereby set aside and the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed. The detenu viz. M.Karthick, aged about 29 years, S/o.Mani, confined at Central Prison, Coimbatore, is directed to be set at liberty forthwith unless he is required in connection

with any other case.

[M.S.R, J.] [V.L.N, J.] 29.08.2025 kas Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking To 1.The Secretary Secretary to Government Home, Prohibition and Excise (XVI) Department Secretariat, Chennai-600 009.

and V.LAKSHMINARAYANAN, J.

kas

29.08.2025