Judgment

BHAGWATI, J.:- The petitioner, who is an advocate practising in the courts in Dhanbad in the State of Bihar, has filed the present petition challenging the validity of an order of detention dated 18th March, 1974 made by the District Magistrate, Dhanbad under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Internal Security Act, 1971. The case of the petitioner is that he is a prominent public figure in that District of Dhanbad and he has been Pramukh of Baliapur Anchal since the last about ten years and Vice-Chairman of Zila Parishad, Dhanbad since about four years. He has been associated with numerous social educational and political institutions in the District of Dhanbad and he is engaged in diverse activities calculated to bring about social and economic uplift of down-trodden people of Dhanbad District. The 16th Annual Convention of Bihar Rajya Panchayat Parishad was scheduled to be held at Gosaidih in Dhanbad District on 16th March, 1974 and the petitioner was the Chairman of the Reception Committee. The ruling party was very much concerned about the growing popularity of the petitioner with the backward classes, and therefore, with a view to undermining his position, the ruling par