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1975 Supreme(Cal) 214

High Court Of Calcutta
B. C. Ray
KRISHNA KUMAR MODI - Appellant
Versus
UNION OF INDIA - Respondent
C. R.  8058 (W)  Of  1975
Decided On : 07/24/1975

Advocates Appeared:
ASHOK GANGULY, BHAGAWATI BANERJEE, NANI COOMAR CHAKRABORTY, P.R.ROY, S.D.BANERJEE, Uma Sanyal

The law of preventive detention is distinct from punitive law, aiming to prevent individuals from engaging in harmful acts rather than punishing them for past offenses.

Headnote:

CONSERVATION OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND PREVENTION OF SMUGGLING ACTIVITIES ACT, 1974 - SECTION 3 - DETENTION ORDER - VALIDITY - CHALLENGE - WRIT JURISDICTION - INTERIM BAIL - GRANT OF - CONDITIONS.

Fact of the Case:

Petitioner, arrested for possession of smuggled synthetic fabrics, challenged the interim injunction restraining his detention under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (Act 52 of 1974) and sought its extension.

Finding of the Court:

1. The law of preventive detention aims to prevent individuals from engaging in acts detrimental to the state's security, while punitive laws prosecute individuals for offenses punishable under the law. 2. The petitioner's contention that preventive detention laws cannot be applied when punitive laws suffice is based on a misunderstanding of their distinct purposes and scopes. 3. An order of preventive detention may be issued before, during, or after prosecution, and it does not bar prosecution or vice versa. 4. The petitioner's challenge to the validity of the detention order and the application of mind by the detaining authority should be raised in an appropriate forum, such as a writ of Habeas Corpus. 5. The petitioner is not entitled to interim bail as a matter of right, and the court's discretion in granting bail is guided by the principle that the petitioner must establish a prima facie case of success.

Issues: 1. Whether the law of preventive detention can be applied when punitive laws are adequate and sufficient. 2. Whether the petitioner is entitled to interim bail in a challenge to a detention order under a preventive detention law. 3. Whether the petitioner can challenge the validity of the detention order and the application of mind by the detaining authority in a writ jurisdiction proceeding.

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The law of preventive detention is distinct from punitive law, aiming to prevent individuals from engaging in harmful acts rather than punishing them for past offenses. 2. The petitioner's contention that preventive detention laws cannot be applied when punitive laws suffice is based on a misunderstanding of their distinct purposes and scopes. 3. An order of preventive detention may be issued before, during, or after prosecution, and it does not bar prosecution or vice versa. 4. The petitioner's challenge to the validity of the detention order and the application of mind by the detaining authority should be raised in an appropriate forum, such as a writ of Habeas Corpus. 5. The petitioner is not entitled to interim bail as a matter of right, and the court's discretion in granting bail is guided by the principle that the petitioner must establish a prima facie case of success.

Final Decision: The interim injunction restraining the petitioner's detention was vacated, and the application for its extension was dismissed. The court clarified that it made no findings on the rival contentions of the parties in the main rule.

B. C. RAY, J.

( 1 ) THIS is an application for vacating the interim order of injunction issued on March 20, 1975 at the time of issuance of the said rule. The interim order has been issued in terms of prayer of the petition i. e. injunction retraining the respondents and/or their subordinates and/or servants and each one of them from passing any order of detention against the petitioner or from arresting or detaining the petitioner under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (Act 52 of 1974) or any order that may be passed under any provision of any other statute having the force of preventive detention against the petitioner on the basis of search and seizure dated October 15, 1974 for a period of eight weeks with liberty to the petitioner to apply for extension of the said interim order upon notice to the respondents Nos. 2, 4 and 6. Pursuant to the leave granted the petitioner also filed an application for extension of the interim order of injunction.

( 2 ) IN paragraph 2 of the application for vacating the interim injunction it has been averred that on October 15, 1974 on the basis of an information the officers of the Customs, Preventive and Intelligence Branch, West Bengal. Calcutta visited the General Post Office, Calcutta and apprehended two persons-- the petitioner and Sri Nanik Sahani and found in their possession postal insured parcels bearing Nos. 620 and 622 Kalba Devi Koad, Bombay 564, 565. 566, 609 and 611 of Ram Wady Bombay in presence of two independent witnesses. The said parcels were found to have been despatched by one Sri S. K. Haralalka of 78 Dadi Sethi, Bombay -- addressed to Sri S. S. Kedia, C/o. Rubi General Insurance Co. Ltd. of 8, India Exchange Place, Calcutta-1. It has been further averred that on examination of the contents of the said parcels in presence of the petitioner and Sri Nanik Sahani and two independent witnesses, the said parcels were found to contain synthetic fabrics of Japan origin measuring 184. 60 metres valued at Rupees 14,768. The said goods were seized on the reasonable belief that they were smuggled goods imported into India in violation of Customs Act and other laws. It has been further stated that the petitioner admitted his guilt and could not produce any evidence to prove his bona fide possession and legal importation of synthetic fabrics of foreign origin. It has also been stated that after due investigation toy the officers of the Customs and' Central Excise Department the petitioner was found to have been acting in an organised manner in smuggling synthetic fabric from Bombay through his associates S. S. Kedia and O. P. Lara alias Om Prakash Lara and has been doing business in Calcutta. It has been stated that the Customs and Central Excise Department have placed the said materials before the detaining authority for their consideration whereon an order of detention under Section 3 of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 has been made on Feb. 24, 1975 for preventing the petitioner from indulging in transporting smuggled goods, The petitioner has absconded and has been avoiding arrest. As such the order of detention could not be served on the petitioner by the State Government. It has been submitted that after the passing of the order of detention the petitioner cannot get any relief unless the said order of detention is challenged before the appropriate forum. It has further been submitted that the petitioner is not entitled as a matter of right to get the interim bail and the court's discretion in the matter of granting bail is regulated by well established principle that the party should establish prima facie that the case is bound to succeed. The petitioner is not entitled to get any extension of the interim order nor he is entitled to get any interim order in the form in which it has been obtained.

( 3 ) IN the application for extension of interim order it has been stated tha










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