Habeas corpus petition challenging a goonda detention order passed over a month after the detenu's arrest. Relying on Supreme Court precedent that unexplained delay between arrest and detention snaps the live link and casts doubt on the detaining authority's subjective satisfaction, the Court quashed the detention order and ordered release.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
HCP.No.2855 of 2024
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED : 24.01.2025
CORAM :
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE S.M.SUBRAMANIAM
AND
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M.JOTHIRAMAN
H.C.P.No.2855 of 2024
Sumathi
... Petitioner/Mother of the detenu
Vs.
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HCP.No.2855 of 2024
5.State rep.by its
The Inspector of Police, Tholasampatti Police Station, Salem District.
... Respondents
PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a Writ of Habeas Corpus, to call for the entire records, relating to the petitioner's son detention under Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982 vide detention order dated 12.10.2024 on the file of the Second Respondent herein made in proceedings C.M.P.No.16/Goonda/C2/2024, quash the same as illegal and consequently direct the respondents herein to produce the petitioner's son Namely Dhanushkumar, S/o.Alagesan, aged 22 years before this Hon'ble High Court and set the petitioner's son at Liberty from detention, now the petitioner's son detained at Central Prison, Salem.
For Petitioner : Ms.R.Pandimeena
For Respondents : Mr.R.Muniyapparaj Additional Public Prosecutor
ORDER
(Order of the Court was made by M.JOTHIRAMAN, J. )
The order of detention passed by the second respondent in C.M.P.No.16/Goonda/C2/2024 dated 12.10.2024 is sought to be quashed in the present Habeas Corpus Petition.
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HCP.No.2855 of 2024
“ 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
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HCP.No.2855 of 2024
unreasonable and stands unexplained depends on the facts and circumstances of each case. ”
3.1. In the case of T.A. Abdul Rahaman Vs. State of Kerala and Ors.
reported in (1989) 4 SCC 741, the Apex Court held as follows:
10. The conspectus of the above decisions can be summarised thus : The question whether the prejudicial activities of a person necessitating to pass an order of detention is proximate to the time when the order is made or the live-link between the prejudicial activities and the purpose of detention is snapped depends on the facts and circumstances of each case. No hard and fast rule can be precisely formulated that would be applicable under all circumstances and no exhaustive guidelines can be laid down in that behalf. It follows that the test of proximity is not a rigid or mechanical test by merely counting number of months between the offending acts and the order of detention. However, when there is undue and long delay between the prejudicial activities and the passing of detention order, the
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Court has to scrutinise whether the detaining authority has satisfactorily examined such a delay and afforded a tenable and reasonable explanation as to why such a delay has occasioned, when called upon to answer and further the Court has to investigate whether the causal connection has been broken in the circumstances of each case.
HCP.No.2855 of 2024
11. Similarly when there is unsatisfactory and unexplained delay between the date of order of detention and the date of securing the arrest of the detenu, such a delay would throw considerable doubt on the genuineness of the subjective satisfaction of the detaining authority leading to a legitimate inference that the detaining authority was not really and genuinely satisfied as regards the necessity for detaining the detenu with a view to preventing him from acting in a prejudicial manner.
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HCP.No.2855 of 2024
respondent in C.M.P.No.16/Goonda/C2/2024 dated 12.10.2024 is quashed and the Habeas Corpus Petition stands allowed . The detenue, namely, Dhanushkumar, S/o.Alagesan, aged about 22 years, now confined in Central Prison, Salem, is directed to be set at liberty forthwith unless he is otherwise required in connection with any other case.
[S.M.S., J.] [M.J.R., J.] 24.01.2025 Index : Yes/No Speaking Order : Yes/No Neutral Citation : Yes/No kak
To
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HCP.No.2855 of 2024
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HCP.No.2855 of 2024
S.M.SUBRAMANIAM, J. AND M.JOTHIRAMAN, J.
kak
H.C.P.No.2855 of 2024
24.01.2025
Page 8 of 8
1 issue framed by the court
Whether the over-one-month delay between the detenu's arrest on 20.08.2024 and the detention order dated 12.10.2024 invalidated the subjective satisfaction of the detaining authority under Tamil Nadu
Colour shows how this judgement treated each authority
Sushanta Kumar Banik Vs. State of TripuraRelied on¶3
2022 LiveLaw (SC) 813
T.A. Abdul Rahaman Vs. State of Kerala and Ors.Relied on¶31
(1989) 4 SCC 741 · Who else cites this
2 provisions across 2 enactments
Sumathi
The Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Chennai
The District Magistrate and District Collector, Salem District
The Superintendent of Police, Salem
The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison – Salem
The Inspector of Police, Tholasampatti Police Station, Salem District (State)
S.M.Subramaniam
M.Jothiraman
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
