Allowed

M.Kanmani v. the State of Tamil Nadu Rep. by

Madras HC19 Jul 2024HCP/312/2024

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

In a Habeas Corpus petition, the Court quashed a detention order under TN Act 14 of 1982 passed against the petitioner's son due to unexplained inordinate delay. The delay snapped the link between grounds and purpose of detention. The petitioner's son was directed to be set at liberty.

What did the court decide?

Detention order dated 29.03.2023 set aside; detenu Silambarasan directed to be set at liberty forthwith.

M.Kanmani Vs the State of Tamil Nadu Rep. by — Pension and Retirement Benefits | Madras HC (2024)

¶1

HCP.No.312 of 2024

¶2

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

¶3

DATED : 19.07.2024

¶4

CORAM :

¶5

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M.S. RAMESH AND THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SUNDER MOHAN

H.C.P.No.312 of 2024

M.Kanmani

... Petitioner

Vs.

1.The State of Tamil Nadu, Rep. by the Secretary to Government, Prohibition & Excise Department, Fort St.George, Chennai – 600 009.

¶11

2.The Commissioner of Police, Greater Avadi City, Chennai – 600 054.

¶12

3.The Inspector of Police, T-10 Thirumullaivoyal Police Station, Chennai – 600 053.

¶13

4.The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison, Puzhal, Chennai.

¶14

... Respondents

¶15

PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a Writ of Habeas Corpus, calling for the records pertaining to Memo

¶16

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Page 1 of 6

¶17

HCP.No.312 of 2024

¶18

No.76/BCDFGISSSV/2023 dated 29.03.2023, on the file of the 2^nd respondent herein and set aside the same and direct the respondents herein to produce the petitioner's son namely Silambarasan , aged about 32 years, S/o.Marimuthu, now confined in the Central Prison, Puzhal, Chennai, before this Court and set him at liberty forthwith.

¶19

For Petitioner : Mr.C.K.M.Appaji For Respondents : Mr.A.Gokulakrishnan, Additional Public Prosecutor

¶20

ORDER

¶21

M.S.RAMESH, J. AND SUNDER MOHAN, J.

¶22

The petitioner herein, who is the mother of the detenu namely Silambarasan , aged about 32 years, S/o.Marimuthu, has come forward with this petition challenging the detention order passed by the second respondent dated 29.03.2023 slapped on her son, branding him as "Goonda" under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Cyber Law Offenders, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand Offenders, Sexual Offenders, Slum Grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982 [Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982].

¶23

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Page 2 of 6

¶24

HCP.No.312 of 2024

¶25

¶26

2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, as well as the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents.

¶27

3. Though several grounds are raised in the petition, the learned

¶28

counsel for the petitioner submitted that there is an inordinate delay in passing the order of detention.

¶29

4. In the instant case, the detenu was arrested on 26.02.2023 and thereafter, the detention order came to be passed on 29.03.2023. This fact is not disputed by the learned Additional Public Prosecutor.

¶30

5. In the case of 'Sushanta Kumar Banik Vs. State of Tripura' , reported in '2022 LiveLaw (SC) 813' , when there was an inordinate delay from the date of proposal till passing of the detention order and likewise, between the date of detention order and the actual arrest, the Hon'ble Supreme Court had held that the live and proximate link, between the grounds and the purpose of detention, stands snapped in arresting the detenu.

¶31

The relevant observation of the Hon'ble Supreme Court is extracted

¶32

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Page 3 of 6

¶33

HCP.No.312 of 2024

¶34

hereunder:-

¶35

“ 20. It is manifestly clear from a conspectus of the above decisions of this Court, that the underlying principle is that if there is unreasonable delay between the date of the order of detention & actual arrest of the detenu and in the same manner from the date of the proposal and passing of the order of detention, such delay unless satisfactorily explained throws a considerable doubt on the genuineness of the requisite subjective satisfaction of the detaining authority in passing the detention order and consequently render the detention order bad and invalid because the “live and proximate link” between the grounds of detention and the purpose of detention is snapped in arresting the detenu. A question whether the delay is unreasonable and stands unexplained depends on the facts and circumstances of each case. ”

¶36

6. Drawing inspiration from the judgment in Sushanta Kumar Banik's

¶37

case , a co-ordinate Bench of this Court in the case of 'Gomathi Vs. Principal

¶38

Secretary to Government and Others', reported in '2023 SCC OnLine Mad

¶39

6332' , had held that when there is an inordinate delay from the date of arrest/date of proposal till the order of detention, the live and proximate link between them would also stand snapped and thereby, had quashed the

¶40

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Page 4 of 6

¶41

HCP.No.312 of 2024

¶42

detention order on this ground .

¶43

7. In yet another case i.e., in 'Nagaraj Vs. State of Tamil Nadu' , reported in ' (2018) 3 MWN (Cri) 428' , this Court had held that the delay of 36 days in passing the detention order after the arrest of the detenu would snap the live and proximate link between the grounds and purpose of detention. Hence, in view of the unexplained and inordinate delay in passing the order of detention, after the arrest of the detenu, the detention order in the present case, is liable to be quashed.

¶44

8. Accordingly, the detention order passed by the second respondent on 29.03.2023 in No.76/BCDFGISSSV/2023, is hereby set aside and the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed. The detenu viz., Silambarasan , aged about 32 years, S/o.Marimuthu, is directed to be set at liberty forthwith, unless his confinement is required in connection with any other case.

¶45

[M.S.R., J] [S.M., J] 19.07.2024

¶46

Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Neutral Citation: Yes/No

¶47

Sni

¶48