JUDGMENT

Ramanujulu Naidu, J. - In this batch of Writ Petitions filed for issue of writs of habeas corpus, directing the respondents to produce before this Court, respectively, (1) Anwar Ismail, s/o Ismail, (2) Dawood Mohammed, s/o Siddiqui, (3) Dawood, s/o Yusuf, (4) Ishaq, s/o Omar, (5) Baktar Ahmad Mujawar Khan, s/o Mujawar Khan, (6) Kasim Mohammed s/o Shaik Mohammed, (7) Abdullah Usman, s/o Usman, (8) Mossa, s/o Ibrahim, and (9) Rafi, s/o Abdullah, presently undergoing detention as remanded prisoners in the Central Prison, Visakhapatnam, hereinafter referred to, for the sake of convenience, as "the detenus" and to set them at liberty, an important question of law as to the interpretation of Section 167(2) (b) of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the consequences that flow from contravention of or non-compliance with, the provisions of the said section arises for consideration.

2. The facts giving rise to the filing of the batch of writ petitions lie in a narrow compass and may briefly be stated. All the detenus are Helpers and Sailors employed in an Arab Dhow. It sailed towards the coastal sea in the State of Andhra Pradesh and it was intercepted at the coast near Narsapur by