Jammu and Kashmir High Court: Rashid Ali Dar, J. set aside the detention order passed by respondent 2-District Magistrate, Baramulla and ordered the detenu to be released from preventive custody.
In the present case, the petitioner had challenged a detention order passed by respondent 2 whereby the petitioner was taken under preventive custody. The respondent had also filed a counter affidavit wherein they resisted the petition by pleading that the detention order was passed by following the procedure under the law.
Learned counsel for the respondent, Asif Maqbool, produced the detention record to lend support to the stand taken in the counter affidavit.
Learned counsel for the petitioner, Mir Shafaqat Hussain, pointed out that the detenu had been shown involved in various FIRs but the fact that he had already been admitted to bail in these FIRs had not been mentioned though the mention of the FIRs was made. This showed that all the circumstances and materials were not examined. A person involved in a criminal case could be detained under the provisions of preventive laws provided there were compelling circumstances to do so. Preventive detention is an invasion to personal liberty which infringes the right to liberty guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Preventive detention, in view of exception to Article 21, has to be reasonable, should not be on the ipse dixit of the detaining authority.
While relying on Rekha v. State of Tamil Nadu, (2011) 5 SCC 244, it was pointed out that the procedural requirement are the only safeguard available to the detenu, therefore, the procedural requirement should be strictly complied with, it was the duty of the detaining authority to derive subjective satisfaction before passing the order of detention. If the record suggested that there was non-application of mind, which ipso facto meant that subjective satisfaction was missing.
Due to the cumulative effect of the above discussion, it was held that, the impugned order of detention passed by respondent 2 was not valid. The order was set aside directing that the detenu be released from the preventive custody.[Shahid Ahmad Tantray v. State of J&K, 2019 SCC OnLine J&K 422, decided on 08-05-2019]
