JUDGMENT

This petition for special leave to appeal is directed against the judgment of the Allahabad High Court dated 21-2-1992, (reported in 1992 Cri LJ 3866) (FB), dismissing the habeas corpus petition filed by the detenu Birendra Kumar Rai alias Virendra Kumar Rai.

2. The petitioner was arrested on 21-11-1990 by Zamania Police in connection with Crime No. 402 of 1990 under Section 25 of the Arms Act and Section 207 of the Motor Vehicles Act. The petitioner was detained in District Jail, Ghazipur in connection with the above case. During the custody of the petitioner in District Jail Ghazipur he was served on 10-12-1990 with a detention order passed by the Joint Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, New Delhi, under Section 3 (1) of the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 (hereinafter referred to as the PITNDPS Act, 1988). The petitioner was given the grounds of detention along with the copies of documents relied on by the detaining authority along with the detention order.

3. It was alleged in the grounds of detention that on a secret information the Officers of Varanasi and Delhi units o