Manimegalai v. State Rep By

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED : 14.02.2024 CORAM :

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M.S. RAMESH AND THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SUNDER MOHAN Manimegalai ... Petitioner Vs.

1.The Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Fort St. George, Chennai - 600 009.

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

3.The Superintendent of Police, Cuddalore District, Cuddalore.

4.The Superintendent, Central Prison, Cuddalore-4.

5.The Inspector of Police, Vridhachalam PEW Police Station, Cuddalore District ... Respondents Prayer : Habeas Corpus Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying for the issuance of Writ of Habeas Corpus, calling for the records in connection with the order of detention passed

by the second respondent dated 30.10.2023 in C3/D.O.No.71/2023 against the petitioner's husband Pandiyan, Male, aged 43 years, S/o Natesan, who is confined at Central Prison, Cuddalore and set aside the same and direct the respondents to produce the detenue before this Court and set him at liberty.

For Petitioner : Mr.D.Balaji For Respondents : Mr.E. Raj Thilak, Additional Public Prosecutor assisted by Mr.C. Aravind

ORDER

(Order of the Court was made by M.S.RAMESH, J.) The petitioner, who is the wife of the detenu Pandiyan, aged 43 years, S/o Natesan, has come forward with this petition challenging the detention order passed by the second respondent dated 30.10.2023 slapped on her husband, 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 are raised in the petition, the learned counsel for the petitioner pointed out that the Detaining Authority has not applied its mind while expressing its subjective satisfaction that the detenu is also likely to be released on bail as bail was granted to the accused in Crl.M.P.No.688 of 2020 after recording that the accused was in custody for 137 days and also suffered detention order.

4. On a perusal of the Booklet, this Court finds that in a similar case relied upon by the Detaining Authority in Crl.M.P.No.688 of 2020, dated 31.01.2020, the accused was in custody for 137 days and also suffered detention order. The detenue in the ground case is not similarly placed as that of the accused in similar case. Considering the nature of the bail order in the similar case relied upon by the Detaining Authority and the case on hand, this Court finds that the subjective satisfaction of the Detaining Authority that the detenu is also likely to be released on bail, suffers from non-application of mind.

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 paragraphs 10 and 11 of the said judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court:- "10.

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 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 C3/D.O.No.71/2023 dated 30.10.2023 is hereby set aside and the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed. The detenu Pandiyan, S/o

Natesan, aged 43 years, is directed to be set at liberty forthwith unless he is required in connection with any other case. [M.S.R., J] [S.M., J] 14.02.2024 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Internet: Yes/No sr

To 1.The Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Fort St. George, Chennai - 600 009.

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

3.The Superintendent of Police, Cuddalore District, Cuddalore.

4.The Superintendent, Central Prison, Cuddalore-4.

5.The Inspector of Police, Vridhachalam PEW Police Station, Cuddalore District 6.The Public Prosecutor, High Court, Madras.

M.S.RAMESH , J.

and SUNDER MOHAN, J.

sr 14.02.2024