IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD
A.RAJASHEKER REDDY, SHAMEEM AKTHER, JJ.
Smt. Farhat Kausar – Appellant
Versus
The State of Telangana – Respondent
Writ Petition No.19999 of 2020
Decided on : 14-06-2021
Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Dacoits, Drug-Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Land-Grabbers, Spurious Seed Offenders, Insecticide Offenders, Fertilizer Offenders, Food Adulteration Offenders, Fake Document Offenders, Scheduled Commodities Offenders, Forest Offenders, Gaming Offenders, Sexual Offenders, Explosive Substances Offenders, Arms Offenders, Cyber Crime Offenders & White Collar or Financial Offenders Act, 1986 - Section 3(2) - Indian Penal Code - Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 - Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987 - Preventive detention laws - Detention order – Challenged -Petitioner would submit that impugned detention order is illegal, arbitrary, unconstitutional, improper and against principles of natural justice and has been passed in a mechanical manner and without application of mind - Detenu is implicated in solitary case relied upon by detaining authority for preventively detaining him basing upon his confession - Admittedly, in solitary case relied upon by detaining authority, detenu was granted bail by Court concerned - But, detenu was again sent to judicial remand by invoking draconian preventive detention laws - Preventive detention shall not be made a substitute for punitive detention - There is no prejudicial activity attributed to the detenu after his release on bail in the alleged criminal case - Material papers served on the detenu were not in language known to detenu and as such, detenu is unable to know contents of same so as to make an effective representation her - Whether impugned detention order, dated passed by Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad Commissionerate, respondent No.2, and the confirmation order, dated – Held, contention raised by the petitioner is unsustainable - Detaining authority had sufficient material to record subjective satisfaction that detention of the detenu was necessary to maintain public order and even tempo of life of community - Order of detention does not suffer from any illegality - Grounds of detention, as indicated in impugned order, are found to be relevant and in tune with provisions of P.D. Act. Since the detenu was granted bail in aforesaid case relied by detaining authority, there is nothing wrong on part of detaining authority in raising an apprehension that there is possibility of the detenu indulging in similar shameful and inhuman acts of sexual assault on minor girls and women exploiting their innocence in a deceptive manner in due course, which would again certainly affect the public morale at large - Manner in which alleged offence committed by detenu makes it amply clear that there is every possibility of detenu committing similar offences in future, which are prejudicial to maintenance of public order - Subjective satisfaction of detaining authority is not tainted or illegal on any account. Further, the material placed on record reveals that detenu was supplied with the material relied upon by detaining authority in language known to him, i.e., Hindi apart from ‘English’ - Acts of detenu cannot be effectively dealt with under ordinary criminal law - Under these circumstances, detaining authority is justified in passing the impugned detention order - Writ Petition is dismissed.
ORDER :
SHAMEEM AKTHER, J.
Smt. Farhat Kausar, the petitioner, has filed this Habeas Corpus petition on behalf of her husband, Mohd. Jumman, S/o Mohd. Alam, aged about 33 years, the detenu, challenging the detention order, dated 21.08.2020, passed by the Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad Commissionerate, the respondent No.2, wherein, the detenu was detained under Section 3(2) of the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Dacoits, Drug-Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Land-Grabbers, Spurious Seed Offenders, Insecticide Offenders, Fertilizer Offenders, Food Adulteration Offenders, Fake Document Offenders, Scheduled Commodities Offenders, Forest Offenders, Gaming Offenders, Sexual Offenders, Explosive Substances Offenders, Arms Offenders, Cyber Crime Offenders & White Collar or Financial Offenders Act, 1986 (for short "P.D. Act") and the confirmation order vide G.O.Rt.No.1631, General Administration (Spl. (Law & Order)) Department, dated 28.10.2020, passed by the Principal Secretary to Government, General Administration (Spl. (Law & Order) Department, Government of Telangana.
2. Heard the submissions of Sri K.Venu Madhav, learned counsel for the petitioner, Sri G.Mallareddy, learned Assistant Government Pleader for Home representing the learned Additional Advocate General for the respondents, and perused the record.
3. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the impugned detention order is illegal, arbitrary, unconstitutional, improper and against the principles of natural justice and has been passed in a mechanical manner and without application of mind. The detenu is implicated in the solitary case relied upon by the detaining authority for preventively detaining him basing upon his confession. Admittedly, in the solitary case relied upon by the detaining authority, the detenu was granted bail by the Court concerned. But, the detenu was again sent to judicial remand by invoking the draconian preventive detention laws. Preventive detention shall not be made a substitute for punitive detention. There is no prejudicial activity attributed to the detenu after his release on bail in the alleged criminal case. The material papers served on the detenu were not in the language known to the detenu and as such, the detenu is unable to know the contents of the same so as to make an effective representation. The detaining authority erroneously formed an opinion and came to conclusion that the activities of the detenu are creating large scale fear and panic among the general public and adversely affecting the public order. Further, the criminal case alleged against the detenu does not add up to ‘disturbing the public order’. It is confined within the ambit and scope of the word ‘law and order’. Since the offences alleged are under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (for short ‘the POCSO’ Act) and Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987, the said case can certainly be dealt with under the Penal Code and the said special legislations. Thus, there was no need for the detaining authority to invoke the draconian preventive detention laws. Hence, the impugned order tantamount to the colourable exercise of power. The detaining authority has to be extremely careful while passing the detention order, since the detention ipsofacto adversely affects the fundamental right of personal liberty enjoyed by the people under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Further, the detenu was not supplied with the documents relied upon by the detaining authority in the language known to him, i.e., Hindi. Thus, the impugned orders are legally unsustainable and ultimately prayed to set aside the same and allow the writ petition as prayed for.
4. On the other hand, Sri G.Mallareddy, learned Assistant Government Pleader for Home appearing for the respondents would submit that th
Commissioner of Police & Others Vs. C.Anita (Smt.)
Point of Law : Detention order - there is every possibility of detenu committing similar offences in future, which are prejudicial to the maintenance of public order.- acts of the detenu cannot be ef....
The distinction between 'public order' and 'law and order' is crucial in determining the justification for preventive detention under the P.D. Act, and the sufficiency of subjective satisfaction by t....
Every breach of the peace does not lead to public disorder. When two drunkards quarrel and fight there is disorder but not public disorder. They can be dealt with under the powers to maintain law and....
Detention order – Justified - Cases registered under the NDPS Act - Drug-offender – Exclusion of two criminal cases registered for the offences punishable under Section 302 r/w 34 of IPC and Sections....
(1) Mere contravention of law such as indulging in cheating or criminal breach of trust certainly affects ‘law and order’ but before it can be said to affect ‘public order’, it must affect the commun....
Preventive detention requires substantive evidence linking the detenue's activities to a disturbance of public order, not just the registration of FIRs.
The main legal point established is the distinction between law and order and public order, emphasizing that preventive detention should be reserved for emergent situations affecting public order.
: Preventive detention – Mere disturbance of law and order leading to disorder is not necessarily sufficient for action under Preventive Detention Laws.
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