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2025 DAILYLAW 7352 (MAD)

DHANALAKSHMI v. The Additional Chief Secretary to Government,

HCP/2651/2025 · 2026-06-29

Anita Sumanth, Sunder Mohan

Transfer Petitionbody2025

Judgment text

Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.

HCP No. 2651 of 2025 __________ IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 29-06-2026 CORAM THE HON'BLE DR.JUSTICE ANITA SUMANTH AND THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SUNDER MOHAN HCP No. 2651 of 2025 Dhanalakshmi W/o. Murugan, No.1/84, Sivan Kovil Street, Sozhavandipuram, Thirukovilur Taluk, Kallakurichi District. ..Petitioner/ Mother of the detenu Vs 1. The Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Secretariat, Government of Tamil Nadu, Fort St. George, Chennai- 600 009. 2. The Commissioner of Police Greater Chennai. 3. The Superintendent of Prison Central Prison-II, Puzhal, Chennai. 4. The Inspector of Police(Crime) S-1, St. Thomas Police Station, Chennai. ..Respondent(s) Prayer : Petition filed under Article 226 of Constitution of India praying for issuance of Writ of Habeas Corpus, calling for the records of pertaining to the order of Detention dated on 27.10.2025 passed by the 2nd Respondent in No.864/BBCDEFGISSSV/2025 and Quash the same https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP No. 2651 of 2025 __________ as illegal and direct the respondent to produce the detenu Thiru. Mani S/o. Murugan Male, aged about 23 Years, now Confined at Central Prison-II, Puzhal, Chennai before this Court and set him at liberty. For Petitioner(s): Mr.S.Senthil Kumar For Respondent(s): Mr.C.R.Malarvannan Counsel for Government of Tamil Nadu (Criminal Side) ORDER (Order of the Court was made by Sunder Mohan J.) The mother of the detenu – Mani, S/o.Murugan, aged 23 years, has filed this petition challenging the detention order dated 27.10.2025, branding him as a ‘Goonda’ under Section 2(f) of the Tamil Nadu Preventive Detention Act, 1982 (Act 14/1982). 2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Counsel for Government of Tamil Nadu (Criminal Side) for the respondents. 3. It is seen from the impugned order and the grounds of detention that the detenu was arrested on 27.09.2025 and he was detained on https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP No. 2651 of 2025 __________ 27.10.2025. The respondents have not satisfactorily explained the delay in passing the order of detention either in the grounds of detention or in the counter affidavit. We are of the view that in view of the delay, the live and proximate link between grounds of detention and the purpose of detention, stood snapped. In this regard, we may rely upon the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in 'Sushanta Kumar Banik Vs. State of Tripura', reported in '2022 SCC OnLine SC 1333' and the relevant paragraph reads as follows: “21. It is manifestly clear from a conspectus of the above decisions of this Court, that the underlying principle is that if there is unreasonable delay between the date of the order of detention & actual arrest of the detenu and in the same manner from the date of the proposal and passing of the order of detention, such delay unless satisfactorily explained throws a considerable doubt on the genuineness of the requisite subjective satisfaction of the detaining authority in passing the detention order and consequently render the detention order bad and invalid because the “live and proximate link” between the grounds of detention and the purpose of detention is snapped in arresting the detenu. A question whether the delay is unreasonable and stands unexplained depends on the facts and circumstances of each case.” https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP No. 2651 of 2025 __________ 4. Drawing inspiration from the judgment in Sushanta Kumar Banik's case, a co-ordinate Bench of this Court in the case of 'Gomathi Vs. Principal Secretary to Government and Others', reported in '2023 SCC OnLine Mad 6332', had held that when there is an inordinate delay from the date of arrest/date of proposal till the order of detention, the live and proximate link between the grounds and purpose of detention would stand snapped. 5. In yet another case i.e., in 'Nagaraj Vs. State of Tamil Nadu', reported in '(2018) 3 MWN (Cri) 428', this Court had held that the delay of 36 days in passing the detention order after the arrest of the detenu would snap the live and proximate link between the grounds and purpose of detention. Hence, in view of the unexplained and inordinate delay in passing the order of detention, after the arrest of the detenu, the detention order in the present case, is liable to be quashed. 6.In light of the above discussion, this Habeas Corpus Petition is allowed and the Detention Order passed by the second respondent in No.864/BBCDEFGISSSV/2025, dated 27.10.2025 is set aside. https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP No. 2651 of 2025 __________ 7.The detenu, viz., Mani, S/o.Murugan, aged 23 years,, now confined in Central Prison, Puzhal-II, Chennai, is directed to be set at liberty forthwith, unless his presence is required in connection with any other case. (A.S.M.,J.) (S.M.,J.) 29-06-2026 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Neutral Citation: Yes/No Issue order copy today. ars https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP No. 2651 of 2025 __________ To 1. The Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Secretariat, Government of Tamil Nadu, Fort St. George, Chennai- 600 009. 2. The Commissioner of Police Greater Chennai. 3. The Superintendent of Prison Central Prison-II, Puzhal, Chennai. 4. The Inspector of Police(Crime) S-1, St. Thomas Police Station, Chennai. 5. The Joint Secretary, Law and Order Department, Secretariat, Chennai – 600 009. 6. The Public Prosecutor, High Court of Madras. https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis HCP No. 2651 of 2025 __________ DR.ANITA SUMANTH, J. AND SUNDER MOHAN, J. ars HCP No. 2651 of 2025 29-06-2026 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis