THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M.S. RAMESHANDTHE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE v. LAKSHMINARAYANAN H.C.P.No

HCP.No.1407 of 2025IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRASDATED : 07.08.2025CORAM :THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M.S. RAMESHANDTHE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE V. LAKSHMINARAYANAN H.C.P.No.1407 of 2025Thiraviyam ... Petitioner/father of the detenueVs.1. The State of Tamil Nadu, rep. by itsAdditional Chief Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Secretariat Fort St.George, Chennai-9.2.The District Magistrate and District Collector,District Collector office Campus, Tiruppur District.3.The Superintendent of Prison,Central Prison Covai, Coimbatore District.4.The Superintendent of PoliceTiruppur District, Palladam Road, Tirupur - 641604.5.The Inspector of PolicePage 1 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.1407 of 2025Udumalpet police Station, Tiruppur District.... RespondentsPRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a Writ of Habeas Corpus, to call for the records of the impugned order detention order Cr.M.P.No.09/Goonda/2025 dated 07.03.2025 on the file of the 2nd respondent and quash the same as illegal and to direct the respondents to produce the detenue Anburaj @ Anburaja, aged about 21 years, S/o.Thiraviyam, now detained at Central Prison Coimbatore, before this Court and set him at liberty.For Petitioner: Mr.S.ArjunFor 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 namely Anburaj @ Anburaja, aged about 21 years, S/o.Thiraviyam, now detained at Central Prison Coimbatore has come forward with this petition challenging the detention order passed by the second respondent dated 07.03.2025 issued against her son, branding him as "Goonda" under the Page 2 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.1407 of 2025Tamil 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].2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, as well as the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents.3. Though the learned counsel for the petitioner has raised several other grounds to assail the order of detention, he has mainly focused his argument on the ground that the Government Order in G.O.(D).No.42, Home, Prohibition and Excise (XVI) Department dated 09.01.2025 has not been translated in vernacular language. This deprived the detenu from making effective representation. Therefore, on the sole ground, the detention order is liable to be quashed. 4. On perusal of the documents available on record, particularly in Page Nos.65 and 66 of the booklet in Volume-II, a copy of the Government Order in G.O.(D).No.42, Home, Prohibition and Excise (XVI) Department Page 3 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.1407 of 2025dated 09.01.2025 is available and the translated copy in vernacular version of the same has not been furnished to the detenue. Therefore, the detenue is deprived from making effective representation and that the Detention Order passed by the Detaining Authority is vitiated.5. In this context, it is useful to refer to the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in 'Powanammal Vs. State of Tamil Nadu' reported in '(1999) 2 SCC 413'. The Hon'ble Supreme Court, after discussing the safeguards embodied in Article 22[5] of the Constitution, observed that the detenu should be afforded an opportunity of making representation effectively against the Detention Order and that, the failure to supply every material in the language which can be understood by the detenu, is imperative. In the said context, the Hon'ble Supreme Court has held in Paragraphs 9 and 16 {as in SCC journal} as follows:“9.However, this Court has maintained a distinction between a document which has been relied upon by the detaining authority in the grounds of detention and a document which finds a mere reference in the grounds of detention. Whereas the non-supply of a copy of the document relied upon in the grounds of detention has been held to be fatal to Page 4 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.1407 of 2025continued detention, the detenu need not show that any prejudice is caused to him. This is because the non-supply of such a document would amount to denial of the right of being communicated the grounds and of being afforded the opportunity of making an effective representation against the order. But it would not be so where the document merely finds a reference in the order of detention or among the grounds thereof. In such a case, the detenu's complaint of non-supply of document has to be supported by prejudice caused to him in making an effective representation. What applies to a document would equally apply to furnishing a translated copy of the document in the language known to and understood by the detenu, should the document be in a different language......16.For the above reasons, in our view, the non-supply of the Tamil version of the English document, on the facts and in the circumstances, renders her continued detention illegal. We, therefore, direct that the detenue be set free forthwith unless she is required to be detained in any other case. The appeal is accordingly allowed.”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 detention Page 5 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.1407 of 2025order is liable to be quashed.7. Hence, for the aforesaid reasons, the detention order passed by the second respondent on 07.03.2025 in Cr.M.P.No.09/Goonda/2025, is hereby set aside and the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed. The detenu viz., Anburaj @ Anburaja, aged about 21 years, S/o.Thiraviyam, now detained at Central Prison Coimbatore is directed to be set at liberty forthwith, unless he is required in connection with any other case. [M.S.R., J] [V.L.N., J] 07.08.2025Index: Yes/NoInternet:Yes/NoNeutral Citation: Yes/NoAnuTo1. The State of Tamil Nadu, rep. by itsPage 6 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.1407 of 2025Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Secretariat Fort St.George, Chennai-9.2.The District Magistrate and District Collector,District Collector office Campus, Tiruppur District.3.The Superintendent of Prison,Central Prison Covai, Coimbatore District.4.The Superintendent of PoliceTiruppur District, Palladam Road, Tirupur - 641604.5.The Inspector of PoliceUdumalpet police Station, Tiruppur District.6.The Joint Secretary,Law and Order Department,Secretariat, Chennai. 7.The Public Prosecutor,High Court, Madras.M.S.RAMESH, J.andV. LAKSHMINARAYANAN , J. AnuPage 7 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP.No.1407 of 2025H.C.P.No.1407 of 202507.08.2025Page 8 of 8