High Court · 2025

HCP.No.817 of 2025IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRASDATED : 04.07.2025CORAM :THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M.S. RAMESHANDTHE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE V.LAKSHMINARAYANANH.C.P.No.817 of 2025A.Seenivasan ... PetitionerVs.1.State of Tamilnadu,Represented by its Secretary, Home,Prohibition and Excise Department,Fort St. George, Chennai-600 009.2.The Commissioner of PoliceSalem CitySalem District3.The SuperintendentCentral PrisonSalem4.The Inspector of Police,Salem Town Police Station,Salem District... RespondentsPRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a Writ of Habeas Corpus, to call for the records leading to the Page 1 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.817 of 2025detention of petitioner's son namely Ganesan, son of Seenivasan, Hindu, aged about 25 years vide detention order dated 26.03.2025, on the file of the 2nd respondent herein made in the proceedings in C.M.P.No.10/ Drug Offender / Salem City / 2025, quash the same and consequently direct the respondents herein to produce the body and person of the detenu namely Ganesan, son of Seenivasan, Hindu, aged about 25 years, before this Court and therefore set him at liberty from Central Prison, Salem District.For Petitioner: Mr.R.Thamarai SelvanFor Respondents: Mr.E.Raj Thilak, Additional Public Prosecutor ORDERM.S.RAMESH, J.ANDV.LAKSHMINARAYANAN, J.The petitioner herein, who is the father of the detenu viz., Ganesan, S/o.Srinivasan, aged about 25 years, confined at Central Prison, Salem, has come forward with this petition challenging the detention order passed by the second respondent dated 26.03.2025, slapped on his son, branding him as "Drug Offender" under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Cyber Law Offenders, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand Page 2 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.817 of 2025Offenders, Sexual Offenders, Slum Grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982 [Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982].2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, as well as the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents.3. Though several grounds are raised in this petition, the learned counsel for the petitioner focused mainly on the ground that the subjective satisfaction of the Detaining Authority that the relatives of the detenu are taking steps to take out the detenu on bail, suffers from non-application of mind, as the Crime number in the statement under 161 Cr.P.C., said to have been made by the detenu's relative before the Sponsoring Authority, is not mentioned. Hence, the learned counsel for the petitioner raised a bona fide doubt as to when this statement was obtained from the petitioner's relative. The learned counsel further pointed out that, unless the statement relied upon by the Sponsoring Authority is immediately before the Detention Order, it may not have relevance and hence, the subjective satisfaction of the Detaining Page 3 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.817 of 2025Authority based on this undated statement, would vitiate the Detention Order. 4. It is seen from records that the statement obtained by the Sponsoring Authority from the detenu's relative, enclosed in the Booklet, stating that they are planning to file a bail application to bring out the detenu on bail, no crime number has been mentioned. On a perusal of the Grounds of Detention, it is seen that, in Para No.4, the Detaining Authority has observed that the Sponsoring Authority has stated that he came to understand that the relatives of the detenu are taking steps to take him out on bail by filing bail application before the appropriate Court and has arrived at the subjective satisfaction that the detenu is likely to be released on bail. When the Crime Number in the statement obtained by the Sponsoring Authority from the relatives of the detenu stating that they are planning to file bail application to bring out the detenu on bail is not mentioned, the veracity of such statement becomes doubtful. The compelling necessity to detain the detenu would also depend on when the statement was obtained. In the absence of the crime Page 4 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.817 of 2025number, the compelling necessity to detain, becomes suspicious. Hence, this Court is of the view that the subjective satisfaction of the Detaining Authority based on such undated material, suffers from non-application of mind.5. The Hon'ble Supreme Court, in the case of 'Rekha Vs. State of Tamil Nadu through Secretary to Government and another' reported in '2011 [5] SCC 244', has dealt with a situation where the Detention Order is passed without an application of mind. In case, any of the reasons stated in the order of detention is non-existent or a material information is wrongly assumed, that will vitiate the Detention Order. When the subjective satisfaction was irrational or there was non-application of mind, the Hon'ble Supreme Court held that the order of detention is liable to be quashed. It is relevant to extract paragraph Nos.10 and 11 of the said judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court:-“10.In our opinion, if details are given by the respondent authority about the alleged bail orders in similar cases mentioning the date of the orders, the bail application number, whether the bail order Page 5 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.817 of 2025was passed in respect of the co-accused in the same case, and whether the case of the co-accused was on the same footing as the case of the petitioner, then, of course, it could be argued that there is likelihood of the accused being released on bail, because it is the normal practice of most courts that if a co-accused has been granted bail and his case is on the same footing as that of the petitioner, then the petitioner is ordinarily granted bail. However, the respondent authority should have given details about the alleged bail order in similar cases, which has not been done in the present case. A mere ipse dixit statement in the grounds of detention cannot sustain the detention order and has to be ignored. 11.In our opinion, the detention order in question only contains ipse dixit regarding the alleged imminent possibility of the accused coming out on bail and there was no reliable material to this effect. Hence, the detention order in question cannot be sustained.”6. In view of the ratio laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court and in view of the aforesaid facts, this Court is of the view that the Page 6 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.817 of 2025detention order is liable to be quashed.7. Hence, for the aforesaid reasons, the detention order passed by the second respondent on 26.03.2025 in C.M.P.No.10/ Drug Offender Salem City/2025, is hereby set aside and the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed. The detenu viz. Ganesan, aged about 25 years, S/o.Srinivasan, confined at Central Prison, Salem, is directed to be set at liberty forthwith, unless his confinement is required in connection with any other case. [M.S.R, J.] [V.L.N, J.] 04.07.2024kasIndex: Yes/NoNeutral CitationSpeaking / Non speakingPage 7 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.817 of 2025M.S.RAMESH, J.andV.LAKSHMINARAYANAN, J.kasTo1. The Secretary, Home,Prohibition and Excise Department,Fort St. George, Chennai-600 009.2.The Commissioner of PoliceSalem CitySalem District3.The SuperintendentCentral PrisonSalem4.The Inspector of Police,Salem Town Police Station,Salem District 5.The Public ProsecutorHigh Court of MadrasChennai 600 104H.C.P.No.817 of 202504.07.2025Page 8 of 8