Allowed

Saratha v. the District Magistrate and

Madras HC19 Jul 2021HCP/127/2021

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The Court allowed a Habeas Corpus petition challenging a detention order against a drug offender. The detention was quashed because the detaining authority and the Government exhibited inordinate and unexplained delays in submitting remarks and considering the detenu's representation, violating procedural safeguards.

What did the court decide?

The detention order in C.M.P.No.28/Drug Offender/2020 (M1) dated 17.12.2020 is set aside and the detenu is directed to be released forthwith unless his detention is required in connection with any oth

Saratha Vs the District Magistrate and — Constitutional and Fundamental Rights | Madras HC (2021)

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

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DATED: 19.07.2021

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Coram

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The Honourable Mr. Justice P.N.PRAKASH and The Honourable Mr. Justice R.PONGIAPPAN

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H.C.P.No.127 of 2021

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Saratha .. Petitioner

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Vs.

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State represented by 1. The Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Secretariat, Fort St.George, Chennai – 600 009.

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The District Magistrate and District Collector, Namakkal District, Namakkal.

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The Superintendent of Police, Namakkal District, Namakkal.

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The Superintendent of Police, Central Prison, Salem.

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The Inspector of Police, Namakkal Police Station, Namakkal District. .. Respondents Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a writ of Habeas Corpus to call for the records in connection with the order of detention passed by the second respondent in C.M.P.No.28/Drug Offender/2020 (M1) dated

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https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/

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17.12.2020 against the petitioner's husband Kumar, son of Otcha Thevar, aged about 44 years, who is confined in Central Prison, Salem and set aside the same and direct the respondents to produce him before this Court and set him at liberty forthwith.

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For Petitioner : Ms.S.Sengkodi

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For Respondents : Mr.R.Muniyapparaj, Govt.Advocate (Crl.Side)

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ORDER [Order of the Court was made by R.PONGIAPPAN, J.]

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The petitioner is the wife of the detenu Kumar, son of Otcha Thevar, aged about 44 years. The detenu has been detained by the second respondent by his order in C.M.P.No.28/Drug Offender/2020(M1) dated 17.12.2020, holding him to be a "Drug Offender", as contemplated under Section 2(e) of Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982. The said order is under challenge in this Habeas Corpus Petition.

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We have heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and the learned Government Advocate (Crl.Side) appearing for the respondents. We have also perused the records produced by the Detaining Authority.

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Though several grounds have been raised in the Habeas

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Corpus Petition, the learned counsel appearing for the

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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.

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The learned Government Advocate (Crl.Side) 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 Government Advocate (Crl.Side), 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.

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The Detention Order in question was passed on 17.12.2020. The petitioner made a representation 24.12.2020. Thereafter, remarks were called for by the Government from the Detaining Authority on 04.01.2021. The remarks were duly received on 01.02.2021. Thereafter, the Government considered the matter and passed the order rejecting the petitioner's representation on 08.02.2021.

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It is the contention of the petitioner that there was a

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delay of 27 days in submitting the remarks by the Detaining Authority, of which, 10 days were Government Holidays and hence there was an inordinate delay of 17 days in submitting the remarks. It is the further contention of the petitioner that the remarks were received on 01.02.2021 and there was a delay of 4 days in considering the representation by the Hon'ble Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise Department after the Deputy Secretary dealt with it, of which there was no Government Holiday, hence, there was an inordinate delay of 4 days in considering the representation.

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In Rekha vs. State of Tamil Nadu (2011 (5) SCC 244), the Honourable 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.

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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.

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In Tara Chand vs. State of Rajasthan and others,

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reported in 1980 (2) SCC 321, the Honourable 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.

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In the subject case, admittedly, there is an inordinate and unexplained delay of 17 days in submitting the remarks by the Detaining Authority and unexplained delay of 4 days in considering the representation by the Hon'ble Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise Department. The impugned detention order is, therefore, liable to be quashed.

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In the result, the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed and the order of detention in C.M.P.No.28/Drug Offender/2020 (M1) dated 17.12.2020, passed by the second respondent is set aside. The detenu, viz., Kumar, son of Otcha Thevar, aged about 44 years, is directed to be released forthwith unless his detention is required in connection with any other case.

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Assistant Registrar(CS III)

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//True Copy//

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Sub Assistant Registrar

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nsd

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