1. This is a petition under Art. 226 of the Constitution in which an order of detention made against the petitioner on 5-12-1959 by the District Magistrate of Delhi under S. 3(1)(a)(ii) read with sub-section (2)(a) of the Preventive Detention Act, 1950, has been challenged inter alia on the ground that it is illegal, mala fide etc.

2. The petitioner was supplied the ground of detention which may be grouped in the following manner:

1. Grounds Nos. 2 and 4 relate to certain thefts alleged to have been committed by the petitioner in the years 1954 and 1955. In the first case he was convicted and ordered to furnish surety for good behavior under S. 562 of the Criminal Procedure Code. In the second case only the first information report was registered and all that is stated in the grounds is that the investigation reveled that there was a strong suspicion of the petitioners complicity in the theft.

2. Ground No. 3 related to an offence under S. 13 of the Public Gambling Act for which the petitioner was convicted in 1955, the sentence being a fine of Rs. 20/-.

3. Grounds Nos. 5, 6 13 and 16 relate to alleged proceedings under S. 107/151, Criminal Procedure Code, in all of which h