2012 Supreme(Guj) 776
IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT
V. M. Sahai, A. J. Desai, JJ.
Yusuf Hanifbhai Qureshi (Gandhi) - Appellant
Versus
State of Gujarat and others - Respondents
Letters Patent Appeal No. 604 of 2012 in Special Civil Application No. 14921 of 2011 with Civil Application No. 3417 of 2012
Decided On : 26-03-2012
For the Appellant :N. D. Nanavaty, Senior Counsel Assisted by Mitesh R. Amin, Advocate
For the Respondents: N. J. Shah, A.G.P.
Headnote:
Gujarat Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act, 1985 - Sections 3 and 2(c) - Preventive Detention Order - FIR was lodged against the appellant herein and 25 other persons alleging that when he came to attend the court proceedings pending against him and others in the Court of City Sessions Judge, he had a quarrel and scuffle in the Court compound with appellant and Ramzan, petitioner No.1 threatened to kill when he was returning after attending the Court proceedings along with his brother and six other persons, petitioner No.1-Ramzan and the appellant who were armed with revolver, were advancing towards him - Appellant, who was armed with iron phant, gave blows to his brother on his left eye and other accused persons gave kick and fist blows to the persons present with him and pursuance of registration of FIR, the appellant along with other accused was arrested - The appellant before he is detained by the authority, filed the writ petition challenging the same on various grounds - Appeal against - Held, single act could not be held to be forming habit of person for bringing him within definition of dangerous person - Prima facie established that the appellant was not dangerous person - No other criminal case was registered against him nor there was any criminal history - Court could interfere with an order of preventive detention at the pre-execution stage if detention order was clearly illegal or had been passed which deprives a person of his liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution - Order set aside - Judgment by Single Judge, reversed and appeal allowed.
JUDGMENT :
V. M. Sahai, J.
Admit. Mr. N.J. Shah, learned Assistant Government Pleader waives service of notice of admission on behalf of respondents. Though the appeal is listed for admission, with the consent of the learned counsel for the parties, we have taken up the appeal for final disposal today itself.
2. We have heard Mr. N.D. Nanavaty, learned Senior counsel assisted by Mr. Mitesh R. Amin, learned counsel appearing for the appellant and Mr. N.J. Shah, learned Assistant Government Pleader appearing for the respondents. The learned Assistant Government Pleader has also produced the records.
3. By way of this Intra-Court Letters Patent Appeal, the appellant – Yusuf Hanifbhai Qureshi (Gandhi) - original petitioner No.2 has challenged the judgment and order dated 12.3.2012 passed by the learned Single Judge in Special Civil Application No.14921 of 2011 by which the learned Single Judge has dismissed the writ petition so far as the appellant, the petitioner No.2 in the writ petition is concerned. Hence, this Letters Patent Appeal is confined only to the aforesaid appellant – original petitioner No.2.
4. The brief facts of the case are that an FIR was lodged by one Shri Noorbhai Nathubhai Goghari which was registered as C.R.No.I-97 of 2011 dated 15.7.2011 for the offences punishable under Sections 143, 147, 148, 149, 323 and 326 of IPC and also under Section 135(1) of Bombay Police Act and Section 25(1)(b) of Arms Act against the appellant herein and 25 other persons before Karanj Police Station, inter alia, alleging that when he came to attend the court proceedings pending against him and others in the Court of City Sessions Judge, Ahmedabad City, Ahmedabad, on 30.6.2011, he had a quarrel and scuffle in the Court compound with appellant and Ramzan, petitioner No.1 in the writ petition. It is alleged that Ramzan threatened to kill Noorbhai Nathubhai Goghari. However, nothing happened as the dispute was resolved. It was further alleged that on the next date i.e. on 15.7.2011 when he was returning after attending the Court proceedings along with his brother Abdulbhai Nathubhai Goghari and six other persons, petitioner No.1-Ramzan and the appellant who were armed with revolver, were advancing towards him. The advocates present there, took Noorbhai Nathubhai Goghari in STD booth. It was alleged that the appellant, who was armed with iron phant, gave blows to his brother on his left eye and other accused persons gave kick and fist blows to the persons present with him. In pursuance of registration of FIR, the appellant along with other accused was arrested. However, he has been granted bail. Thereafter, considering the said offence, the order of preventive detention dated 5.10.2011 under Section 3 of the Gujarat Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act, 1985 (hereinafter referred to as 'PASA') has been passed against the appellant treating him as a 'dangerous person'. The appellant before he is detained by the authority, filed the writ petition challenging the same on various grounds.
4.1 It is stated that except petitioner Nos. 3, 10 and 11, other petitioners were enlarged on bail either by the Sessions Court or by this Court. Since the petitioners apprehended that in pursuance of the order of detention, they will be arrested and detained, hence they preferred writ petition being Special Civil Application No. 14921 of 2011 before this Court.
5. Learned Senior counsel appearing for the appellant has urged that after the appellant was granted bail, an order of preventive detention had been passed on 5.10.2011 against the appellant under Section 3 of the PASA branding him as 'dangerous person' under Section 2 (c) of the PASA. He urged that there were in all 13 accused, out of which against three accused persons, no detention orders have been passed. So far as 10 remaining accused persons are concerned, detention order with regard to 8 persons have been quashed and set aside at the pre-detention stage by the learned Single Judge. However,