Sundarapandiammal v. The Principal Secretary To

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 16.05.2017

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.V. MURALIDARAN AND THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.V. KARTHIKEYAN H.C.P(MD)No.92 of 2017 Sundarapandiammal : Petitioner Vs.

1.The Principal Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Secretariat, Chennai -9

2. The Chairman, Advisory Board, singaravelar Maligai, Ground Floor, (Backside Entrance), Chennai Collectorate, No.32 Rajaji Salai, Chennai - 600 001

3. The District Collector / District Magistrate, Ramanathapuram District, Ramanathapuram.

4. The Inspector of Police, Sikkal Police Station, Ramanathapuram District.

5. The Superintendent, Central Prison, Madurai.

: Respondents PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying to issue a Writ of Habeas Corpus, to call for entire records, connected with the detention order of the third respondent in Cr.M.P.No.48/Goonda/2016, dated 20.12.2016 and quash the same and direct the respondents to produce the detenu, by name, Sathiyamoorthy, son of Sethuraman, aged about 37 years detained in Madurai Central Prison before this Court and set him at liberty forthwith.

For Petitioner : Mr.T. Antony Arulraj For Respondents : Mr.C.Ramesh, APP

O R D E R

[Order of the Court was made by M.V. MURALIDARAN, J.] The petitioner is the sister of the detenu namely, Sathiyamoorthy, aged about 37 years. The detenu has been detained by the third respondent by his order in Cr.M.P.No.48/Goonda/2016,

dated 20.12.2016, 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 for the petitioner and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the respondents. We have also perused the records produced by the Detaining Authority. 3.Though several grounds have been raised in the Habeas Corpus Petition, the learned counsel for the petitioner would mainly focus his argument on the ground that there is gross violation of procedural safeguards, which would vitiate the detention. The learned counsel, by placing authorities, submitted that the representation made by the petitioner was not considered on time and there was an inordinate and unexplained delay.

4. The learned Additional Public Prosecutor opposed the Habeas Corpus Petition. He would submit that though there was delay in considering the representation, on that score alone, the impugned detention order cannot be quashed. According to the learned Additional Public Prosecutor, no prejudice has been caused to the detenu and thus, there is no violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution of India.

5. The Detention Order in question was passed on 20.12.2016. The petitioner made a representation dated 10.01.2017. Thereafter, remarks were called for by the Government from the Detaining Authority on 12.01.2017. The remarks were duly received on 23.01.2017. Thereafter, the Government considered the matter and passed the order rejecting the representation on 01.02.2017.

6. It is the contention of the petitioner that there was a delay of 5 days in submitting the remarks by the Detaining Authority and thereafter, there was again a delay of 2 days in considering the representation.

7. In Rekha Vs. State of Tamil Nadu, [2011 (5) SCC 244], the Hon'ble Supreme Court has held that the procedural safeguards are required to be zealously watched and enforced by the Courts of law and their rigour cannot be allowed to be diluted on the basis of the nature of the alleged activities undertaken by the detenu.

8. In Sumaiya Vs. The Secretary to Government, [2007 (2) MWN (Cr.) 145], a Division Bench of this Court has held that the unexplained delay of three days in disposal of the representation made on behalf of the detenu would be sufficient to set aside the order of detention.

9. In Tara Chand Vs. State of Rajasthan and others, [1980

(2) SCC 321], the Hon'ble Supreme Court has held that any

inordinate and unexplained delay on the part of the Government in considering the representation renders the very detention illegal.

10. In the subject case, admittedly, there is an inordinate and unexplained delay of 5 days in submitting the remarks by the Detaining Authority and 2 days in considering the representation. The impugned detention order is, therefore, liable to be quashed.

11. In the result, the Detention Order, passed by the second respondent, in his proceedings in Cr.M.P.No.48/Goonda/2016, dated 20.12.2016, is quashed. The detenu, namely, Sathiyamoorthy, is ordered to be set at liberty forthwith, if he is not required for detention in connection with any other case.

12. In the upshot, we allow the Habeas Corpus Petition. Sd/- Assistant Registrar(T&P) /True Copy/ Sub-Assistant Registrar To 1.The Principal Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Secretariat, Chennai -9

2. The Chairman, Advisory Board, singaravelar Maligai, Ground Floor, (Backside Entrance), Chennai Collectorate, No.32 Rajaji Salai, Chennai - 600 001

3. The District Collector / District Magistrate, Ramanathapuram District, Ramanathapuram.

4. The Inspector of Police, Sikkal Police Station, Ramanathapuram District.

5.The Superintendent, Central Prison, Madurai. 6.The Additional Public Prosecutor, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai. +One cc to Mr.T.Antony Arul Raj, Advocate, SR.No.56578 nbj RL/8C/3P/KP/SAR1/17/7/2017 H.C.P(MD)No.92 of 2017 Dated : 16.05.2017