Allowed

Mangalakshmi v. the Additional Chief Secretary to Government

Madras HC11 Jun 2024HCP/565/2024

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The High Court allowed a habeas corpus petition challenging a detention order under the Tamil Nadu Goondas Act. It quashed the order due to an unexplained inordinate delay between the detenu's arrest in December 2023 and the order in January 2024.

What did the court decide?

Detention order BCDFGISSSV No.02/2024 dated 09.01.2024 set aside. Detenu Manogaran @ Mano directed to be set at liberty forthwith.

Mangalakshmi Vs the Additional Chief… — Pension and Retirement Benefits | Madras HC (2024)

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HCP.No.565 of 2024

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

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DATED : 11.06.2024

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CORAM :

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

H.C.P.No.565 of 2024

Mangalakshmi

... Petitioner

Vs.

1.The Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Secretariat, Chennai – 09.

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

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

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

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5.The Inspector of Police, Tiruttani Police Station, Tiruvallur District.

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... Respondents

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PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a Writ of Habeas Corpus, calling for the records in connection with the order of detention passed by the second respondent dated 09.01.2024 in

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HCP.No.565 of 2024

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BCDFGISSSV No.02/2024 against the petitioner's son namely Manogaran @ Mano, Male, aged 23 years, S/o. Palayam, who is confined at Central PrisonII, Puzhal, Chennai and set aside the same and direct the respondents to produce the detenu before this Court and set him at liberty.

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For Petitioner : Mr.S.Senthilvel

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

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ORDER

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M.S.RAMESH, J. AND

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SUNDER MOHAN, J.

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The petitioner herein, who is the mother of the detenu Manogaran @ Mano, aged about 23 years, S/o. Palayam, has come forward with this petition challenging the detention order passed by the second respondent dated 09.01.2024 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].

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

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HCP.No.565 of 2024

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

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

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4. In the instant case, the detenu was arrested on 01.12.2023 and thereafter, the detention order came to be passed on 09.01.2024. This fact is not disputed by the learned Additional Public Prosecutor.

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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,

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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. The relevant observation of the Hon'ble Supreme Court is extracted hereunder:-

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“ 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

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HCP.No.565 of 2024

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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. ”

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6. Drawing inspiration from the judgment in Sushanta Kumar Banik's case , a co-ordinate Bench of this Court in the case of 'Gomathi Vs. Principal Secretary to Government and Others', reported in '2023 SCC OnLine Mad 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 detention order on this ground .

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7. In yet another case i.e., in 'Nagaraj Vs. State of Tamil Nadu' ,

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HCP.No.565 of 2024

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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

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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.

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8. Accordingly, the detention order passed by the second respondent on

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09.01.2024 in BCDFGISSSV No.02/2024, is hereby set aside and the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed. The detenu viz., Manogaran @ Mano, Male, aged about 23 years, S/o.Palayam, is directed to be set at liberty forthwith, unless his confinement is required in connection with any other case.

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[M.S.R., J] [S.M., J] 11.06.2024

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

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Sni

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