Madras High Court
C.Mariya Selvi vs State Of Tamil Nadu on 10 June, 2025
Author: A.D.Jagadish Chandira
Bench: A.D.Jagadish Chandira
H.C.P.(MD) No.170 of 2025
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
DATED : 10.06.2025
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA
and
THE HONOURABLE MS.JUSTICE R.POORNIMA
H.C.P.(MD) No.170 of 2025
C.Mariya Selvi ... Petitioner
-vs-
1.State of Tamil Nadu,
Rep. by the Secretary to Government,
Home, Prohibition and Excise Department,
Secretariat, Chennai 600 009.
2.The District Collector and District Magistrate,
Kanniyakumari District,
Nagercoil.
3.The Superintendent of Prison,
Central Prison,
Palayamkottai,
Tirunelveli. ... Respondents
PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a
writ of habeas corpus to call for the entire records connected with the detention
order passed in P.D.No.37 of 2024 dated 23.08.2024 on the file of the second
respondent herein and quash the same and direct the respondents to produce the
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H.C.P.(MD) No.170 of 2025
detenu or body of the detenu namely the petitioner's son i.e., Antony Joseph
Singh, aged about 34 years, S/o.Charles, now detained at the Central Prison,
Palayamkottai before this Court and set him at liberty forthwith.
For Petitioner : Mr.N.Pragalathan
For Respondents : Mr.A.Thiruvadi Kumar
Additional Public Prosecutor
ORDER
[Order of the Court was made by A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA, J.]
The petitioner is the mother of the detenu viz., Antony Joseph Singh,
aged about 34 years. The detenu has been detained by the second respondent by
his order in P.D.No.37 of 2024, dated 23.08.2024 holding him to be a "Goonda",
as contemplated under Section 2(f) of Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982. The said order
is under challenge in this habeas corpus petition.
2. We have heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and
the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents. We have
also perused the records produced by the Detaining Authority.
3. Though several grounds have been raised in the habeas corpus
petition, learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the Detaining Authority,
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while detaining the detenu, has relied on Bad Characters-Profile and History
Sheet, which are available in Vol-I at Page Nos.81,83, 85 & 87 of the booklet and
it is in English language. Though the petitioner asked for translated copy of the
same in the vernacular language, the same have not been furnished by the
Detaining Authority. It is, therefore, stated that the detenu is deprived of his
valuable right to make an effective representation.
4. On a perusal of the Booklet, this Court finds that the translated
copy of the Bad Characters-Profile and History Sheet relied on by the Detaining
Authority at Page Nos. 81,83, 85 & 87 of Volume-I of the booklet, in vernacular
language, have not been furnished to the detenu. Therefore, we are of the view
that the non-furnishing of the said document would deprive the detenu of his
valuable right to make an effective representation. It is in the said circumstances,
this Court finds that the impugned detention order passed by the Detaining
Authority is vitiated.
5. In this context, it is useful to refer to the Judgment of the
Honourable Supreme Court in the case of Powanammal vs. State of Tamil Nadu,
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reported in (1999) 2 SCC 413, wherein the Apex Court, after discussing the
safeguards embodied in Article 22(5) of the Constitution of India, observed that
the detenu should be afforded an opportunity of making a representation
effectively against the detention order and that, the failure to supply every
material in the language which can be understood by the detenu, is imperative.
The relevant portion of the said decision is extracted hereunder:
''6. The short question that falls for our
consideration is whether failure to supply the Tamil version
of the order of remand passed in English, a language not
known to the detenue, would vitiate her further detention.
...
...
9. However, this Court has maintained a distinction
between a document which has been relied upon by the
detaining authority in the grounds of detention and a
document which finds a mere reference in the grounds of
detention. Whereas the non-supply of a copy of the
document relied upon in the grounds of detention has been
held to be fatal to continued detention, the detenu need not
show that any prejudice is caused to him. This is because
the non-supply of such a document would amount to denial
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of the right of being communicated the grounds and of
being afforded the opportunity of making an effective
representation against the order. But it would not be so
where the document merely finds a reference in the order of
detention or among the grounds thereof. In such a case, the
detenu's complaint of non-supply of document has to be
supported by prejudice caused to him in making an
effective representation. What applies to a document would
equally apply to furnishing a translated copy of the
document in the language known to and understood by the
detenu, should the document be in a different language.
...
...
16. For the above reasons, in our view, the
nonsupply of the Tamil version of the English document, on
the facts and in the circumstances, renders her continued
detention illegal. We, therefore, direct that the detenue be
set free forthwith unless she is required to be detained in
any other case. The appeal is accordingly allowed.''
6. We find that the above cited Powanammal's case applies in all
force to the case on hand as we find that non-furnishing of translated copy of the
Bad Characters-Profile and History Sheet relied on by the Detaining Authority at
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Page Nos. 81,83, 85 & 87 of Volume-I of the booklet, in vernacular language, to
the detenu, has impaired his constitutional right to make an effective
representation against the impugned preventive detention order. To be noted, this
constitutional right is ingrained in the form of a safeguard in Clause (5) of Article
22 of the Constitution of India. We, therefore, have no hesitation in quashing the
impugned detention order.
7. In the result, the Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed and the order
of detention in P.D.No.37/2024, dated 23.08.2024, passed by the second
respondent is set aside. The detenu, viz., Antony Joseph Singh, aged about 34
years, son of Charles, is directed to be released forthwith unless his detention is
required in connection with any other case.
[A.D.J.C., J.] [R.P., J.]
10.06.2025
NCC : Yes / No
Index : Yes / No
Internet : Yes / No
am
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To:
1.The Secretary to Government,
Home, Prohibition and Excise Department,
Secretariat,
Chennai 600 009.
2.The District Collector and District Magistrate,
Kanniyakumari District,
Nagercoil.
3.The Superintendent of Prison,
Central Prison,
Palayamkottai,
Tirunelveli.
4.The Additional Public Prosecutor,
Madurai Bench of Madras High Court,
Madurai.
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A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA, J.
AND
R.POORNIMA , J.
am
10.06.2025
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