Point of Law : A writ of habeas corpus under Article 32 of the Constitution of India in the Supreme Court is available in case of violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 21 but it does not relate to interference with the personal liberty by a private citizen. However, the High Court has jurisdiction to issue writ of habeas corpus under Article 226 of the Constitution of India not only for violation of fundamental rights of freedom but also for other purposes.

JUDGMENT :

Hon'ble Shamim Ahmed, J.

1. Heard Shri Jyotindra Mishra, learned Senior Advocate, assisted by Shri Sushil Kumar Singh, learned counsel for the petitioner and Shri Shiv Nath Tilhari, learned Additional Government Advocate.

2. This habeas corpus petition has been filed seeking the following reliefs:

(i) issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of ‘Habeas Corpus’ declaring the petitioner’s arrest/ detention bad in law, consequently a writ of Habeas Corpus be issued and the petitioner be set at liberty forthwith.

(ii) issue any other suitable order or direction which this Hon’ble Court may deem fit, just and proper under the circumstances of the case may also be passed in favour of the petitioner.

(iii) allow the petition of petitioner with cost.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is challenging his arrest and detention by the respondents on 09.12.2021 at about 05.00 hours, which was made unlawfully without following the provisions of Section 41-A of the Criminal Procedure Code by issuing and giving a notice under the said provision.

4. It has been submitted on behalf of the petitioner that he is a practicing advocate at Civil Court as well as the High Court at Lucknow since 2001. In the year 2017, with respect to an incident relating to Mrs. Sandhya Srivastava, the then Chief Judicial Magistrate, Lucknow an FIR dated 25.03.2017 was registered bearing FIR No. 149 of 2017, under Sections 147, 149, 504, 506, 186, 353, 354, 341, 228 I.P.C. and Section 7 of Criminal Law Amendment Act, P.S. Wazirganj, District Lucknow against two named accused, Anurag Trivedi and Saifi Hasan Mirza and 25 to 30 unknown advocates/ persons. It was submitted that there is no allegation against the petitioner in the said FIR and that serious allegations had been made only against Anurag Trivedi and Saifi Hasan Mirza. The contents of the FIR are being reproduced hereinbelow:

udy rgjhj fgUnh okfnuh Vkbi'kqnk iszf"kdk] la/;k JhokLro] eq[; U;kf;d eftLVsªV] y[kuÅ lsok eas] Fkkuk/;{k othjxat y[kuÅ fo"k;&vf/koDrk vuqjkx f=osnh] lSQh fetkZ ,oa muds 25&30 lkfFk;ksa }kjk xkyh fn;s tkus o vHknz O;ogkj fd;s tkus ds dkj.k muds fo:) izFke lwpuk fjiksVZ ntZ djds dk;Zokgh fd;s tkus gsrq egksn; fuosnu gS dy fnukad 24-3-2017 dks eSa U;k;ky; le; ij ekuuh; tuin U;k;k/kh'k] egksn; ds foJke d{k ls vkt gksus okyh ekfuVfjax lsy dh ehfVax ij ppkZ djds vius foJke d{k esa vk jgh Fkh rHkh vius dk;kZy; ,oa U;k;ky; d{k dk njoktk cUn ns[kdj eSus vius LVkQ jkds'k ckcw ls iwNk fd ;g njoktk cUn D;ksa gS rHkh vf/koDrk vuqjkx f=osnh us esjs ikl vkdj dgk fd eSaus cUn djok;k gS] bl ij eSus iwNk D;ksa] rHkh vf/koDrk us dgk fd vki us jtuh'k feJk]¼vij eq[; U;kf;d eftLVsªV] izFke½ ds ;gk¡ ls Qkby eaxok;h gS D;k eSus dgk fd gk¡ eaxok;h gS] ysfdu vki fdl gd ls eq>ls ;g iwN jgs gS rc bl ij ogka [kM+s ,d vU; vf/koDrk lSQh fetkZ us dgk ;s mik/;{k gS] rHkh vuqjkx f=osnh us lhuk Bksddj dgk fd eSa vf/koDrk gw¡] vki us ml dksVZ ls Qkby D;ksa eaxk;h blds ckn yxHkx 25&30 vf/koDrk us eq>s ?ksj fy;k] esjk xuj bj'kkn mu yksxksa dks gVkrk jgk] ijUrq vuqjkx f=osnh us yxHkx ph[krs gq, eq>ls dgk eknjpksn lkyh Hkz"Vkpkj dk vM~Mk cuk j[kk gS eSa rqjar gh okil eqM+dj pSEcj dh vksj tkus yxh] esjs ihNs&ihNs vuqjkx f=osnh ,oa lSQh fetkZ rFkk muds lkFk 25&30 vf/koDrk ek¡ cgu dh xkyh nsrs gq, ,oa ;g dgrs gq, fd j.Mh] lkyh rq>s NksMs+axs ugha ns[krk gw¡ dSls ukSdjh djrh gS] fdlh eftLVsªV dks dk;Z ugha djus nsaxs vkx yxk fn;k tk;sxk ns[krk gw¡ gkbZdksVZ vkSj ftyk tt rFkk rw vf/koDrkvksa dk D;k m[kkM+ ysxk rFkk ftUnk o eqnkZckn ds ukjs yxkrs gq, lHkh eftLVsªV U;k;ky;ksa ,oa dk;kZy;ksa dks cUn djk fn;k x;k 'kksj ljkcs] ukjsckth ds dkj.k U;k;ky;ksa ,oa dk;kZy;ksa esa dk;Z djus dk ekgkSy Hkh ugha jg x;k esjs pSECkj esa vk tkus ij Hkh pSEcj ds njokts ij 25&30 vf/koDrk vkdj ukjs ckth ,oa tksj&tksj ls eknjpksn] j.Mh vkfn xkyh nsus yxs esjs }kjk rqjar ekuuh; tuin U;k;k/kh'k] egksn;] o ofj"B iqfyl v/kh{kd] y[kuÅ dks nwjHkk"k ls lwpuk nh xbZ egksn; vki dks voxr djkuk gS fd vf/koDrk vuqjk