2022 Supreme(Guj) 1576
IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
S.H. VORA, RAJENDRA M. SAREEN, JJ.
Rajput Arabsinh @ Sonu Ramsinh – Petitioner
Versus
State Of Gujarat – Respondent
R/Special Civil Application No. 24570 of 2022
Decided On : 12-12-2022
For the Petitioner: Mr. R.B. Thakor.
For the Respondent: Mr. Trupesh Kathiriya.
Headnote:
Puducherry Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2008 – Section 65(A)(E), 81 - Order of detention - Maintenance of public order - Bootlegger - Petitioner is likely to be detained under PASA Act on pretext of F.I.R/s for offence – Held, Subjective satisfaction arrived at by detaining authority cannot be said to be legal, valid and in accordance with law inasmuch as offences alleged in FIR/s cannot have any bearing on public order since laws of land are sufficient enough to take care of situation - Court is of considered opinion that petitioner is not a "bootlegger" and his act, as alleged in detention order cannot disturb maintenance of public order and, therefore, instant case would fall within 3rd and 4th grounds namely it is passed for wrong purpose or it is passed on vague, extraneous and irrelevant grounds mentioned in case of Alka Gadia (supra) and, therefore, order of preventive detention at pre-execution stage calls for interference of this Court - As order of detention has been passed by detaining authority without having adequate grounds for passing said order, it cannot be sustained and deserves to be quashed and set aside - Petition allowed.
JUDGMENT :
[Rajendra M. Sareen, J.]
Rule. Learned A.G.P. waives service of Rule for the respondent – State.
1. With the consent of the learned advocates appearing for the respective parties, the present petition is taken up for final hearing today.
2. The petitioner apprehends that the petitioner is likely to be detained under the PASA Act on the pretext of F.I.R/s for the offence punishable u/s 65(A)(E), 81 etc. of the Prohibition Act.
3. During the course of hearing, the State was directed to place on record the detention order for Court’s perusal and consequently, the State has placed on record the detention order dated 16.11.2022 passed by the detaining authority.
4. Learned advocate for the petitioner has submitted that the petition in the present form is maintainable and tenable both on law as well as on facts to substantively challenge the order of detention at pre-execution stage in view of the decision of the Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of Deepak Bajaj V/s. State of Maharashtra and another reported in (2008)16 SCC 14. According to him, the Hon'ble Apex Court, considering its earlier decision in the case of Additional Secretary to the Government of India and others V/s. Smt. Alka Subhash Gadia and another reported in 1992 Supp.(1) SCC 496 and the objections taken at the pre-execution stage by the other side therein, on the identical ground, has held that "we are of the opinion that the five grounds mentioned therein on which the Court can set-aside the detention order at pre execution stage are only illustrative not exhaustive". Learned advocate for the petitioner also relied upon the decision of the Division Bench of this Court in the case of Mahendrasinh Mangalsinh Jadeja V/s. State of Gujarat and other delivered in Letters Patent Appeal No.1495 of 2013 on 24.12.2013. Lastly, he has submitted that it is an established law that the detention in case of offence registered against detenu under the Act, is against the law. According to him, except aforesaid offence, there is no material to indicate that the alleged activity of the petitioner is affecting or likely to affect adversely to the maintenance of public order and hence, the order of detention is illegal and bad in law.
5. Learned A.G.P. for the State, on the other hand, submitted that this petition is at pre-execution stage without surrendering before challenging the order of detention. Unless and until the petitioner surrenders, he would not be entitled to get the order as well as the grounds thereunder and the petitioner would not be entitled to copies of the same by filing the present petition. Learned AGP places reliance on the decision in the case of Mukeshbhai Versibhai Desai through his brother Bharatbhai Versibhai Desai v/s. State of Gujarat rendered by Division Bench of this Court in LPA No.108 of 2020 so as to contend that detention order at pre execution stage can be challenged only on five grounds as mentioned in the case of Additional Secretary to the Government of India and others V/s. Smt. Alka Subhash Gadia and another reported in 1992 Supp.(1) SCC 496. Relying upon the decision rendered by the Division Bench, she further submits that present petition may be rejected and further places on record detention order for perusal of this Court, which is ordered to be taken on record as per direction issued during the course of hearing and recorded in para 3 of the order.
6. The order of detention is passed on the basis of what has come to be known as the subjective satisfaction of the detaining authority such subjective satisfaction has to be arrived at on two points. Firstly, on the veracity of facts imputed to the person to be detained and secondly, on the prognostication of the detaining authority that the person concerned is likely to indulge again in the same kind of notorious activities. Whereas, normal laws are primarily concerned with the act of commission of the offence, the detention laws are concerned with character of the person who has com