Gujarat High Court
Judgename :C.V.JANI, P.R.GOKULAKRISHNAN
HARIJAN RATILAL MALABHAI - Appellant
Versus
STATE - Respondent
CRIMINAL APPEAL 69 of 1988
Decided On : 07/11/1989
Bombay Police Act 1951 – Section 57 59 60 – Criminal Procedure Code – Prohibition Act – Section 66 – Externment Order – Criminal Appeal – This special criminal application is to issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ direction or order in order to quash and set aside the order passed by the respondent No. 2 at Annexure-C to the petition – In and by the externment order which is at Annexure-C to the special criminal application the externing authority in exercise of his power conferred under Section 57 (c) of the Bombay Police Act 1951 passed an order of externment externing the petitioner herein for a period of 2 years from the limits of District – Appeal thereof filed under Section 60 of the Act was dismissed by the Government of Gujarat by an order Annexure-F to the special criminal application – Aggrieved by these orders the petitioner has preferred the present special criminal application – Held, Applying the principles laid down in the abovesaid decisions it is clear that the externing authority except stating that it was apprehended that the petitioner may continue in such illegal activities no further exorcise has been made in order to find out as to how the continuance of the petitioner in that locality will affect the public peace and tranquility and that how the petitioner will be a menace to the society if he is not externed immediately – Such conclusion has to be arrived at by the externing authority before it passes any order of externment or otherwise the order of externment will stand vitiated – Such findings as laid down by the abovesaid directions which are must as far as cases of externment concerned have not been given in this present case – In these circumstances the orders of externment which are at Annexure E and F are quashed and set aside – Appeal Allowed
( 1 ) THIS special criminal application is to issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropri- ate writ direction or order in order to quash and set aside the order dated 11-7-1989 passed by the respondent No. 2 at Annexure-C to the petition. In and by the externment order which is at Annexure-C to the special criminal application the externing authority who is the Sub- Divisional Magistrate Vadhwan Sub-Division Surendranagar in exercise of his power conferred under Section 57 (c) of the Bombay Police Act 1951 passed an order of externment externing the petitioner herein for a period of 2 years from the limits of Surendranagar District. Appeal thereof filed under Section 60 of the Act was dismissed by the Government of Gujarat by an order dated 17-10-1989 which is at Annexure-F to the special criminal application. Aggrieved by these orders the petitioner has preferred the present special criminal application.
( 2 ) VARIOUS contentions have been raised in the Special Criminal Application and Mr. D. M. Thakkar learned counsel for the petitioner stresses the point regarding the failure on the part of the externing authority to get himself satisfied with regard to the seriousness of the offence committed by the petitioner and the degree of harm his presence in the society will cause to the public at large. Mr. Thakkar also states that the externing authority has failed to consider the question as to how the petitioner will be of public menace if he is not externed from the locality. The learned Counsel for the petitioner has also pointed out that particulars of the convictions of the petitioner herein in respect of various cases filed against him have not been given and that according to the learned Counsel has vitiated the order of externment. As regards this contention it is clear from the facts of the case that the petitioner was served with a show cause notice with a schedule regarding the offences committed by him and the convictions accorded to him in the Court of law. Hence we do not think that this contention can be looked into for the purpose of setting aside the order of externment.
( 3 ) WE have carefully considered the first argument of Mr. D. M. Thakkar regarding the subjective satisfaction the authority has to make before any order of externment is passed. The show-cause notice which is issued under Section 59 of the Bombay Police Act only states that:. . . I hereby inform you under Sec. 59 of the Bombay Police Act that in order to restrain you from carrying on such illegal activities it has been prima facie decided to extern you from the limits of city of Surendranagar and rural areas where it is apprehended that you might continue your such illegal activities. Thus there is only an apprehension to the effecct that the petitioner will continue his illegal activities if he is not externed. In the externment order also there is nothing to show that the authority concerned has reached the conclusion to the effect that if the petitioner is not externed from the limits of Surendranagar District the public peace and tranquillity will be affected and that the petitioner will be of a menace to the society. If such a conclusion is not reached Mr. D. M. Thakkar correctly contended that it will vitiate the externment order in view of the judgment rendered by this Court in 1985 (1) GLR page 194 [ = 1985 128 GLH 281 and 1985 (1)] GLR 199 (=1985 GLH 47) 1982 (2) GLR 535 = 1982 GLH 1061 and 14 GLR 209. 14 GLR 209 (Koli Dana Nathu v. Sub-Div. Mag. Rajkot) is the earliest case which discussed the purport and ambit of Section 57 of the Act and as to how the same has to be invoked for the purpose of extern- ing the person concerned. While passing that order the Bench had in its mind as to how the cher- ished liberty of a citizen has to be protected when especially the act of this nature is invoked to extern a particular person. The Bench observed:when the power is conferred on such a high authority which can res
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