Judgment :- The two petitioners are sureties for the accused in O.R.14/90 on the file of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, (Economic Offences), Ernakulam. The accused was arrested by the Superintendent of Central Excise, Special Customs Preventive Unit, Malappuram on 16-7-1990 under S.104 of the Customs Act alleging that he committed offences punishable undepS.135 of the Customs Act. The accused was produced before the Court below with a prayer for remand to judicial custody. The accused moved for bail. Bail was granted on 4-8-90 and the petitioners herein offered themselves as sureties and they were directed to deposit Rs.25,000/- each in addition to the bond executed by them. On 25-8-90 the State Government issued a preventive detention order against the accused under S.3(1) (iii) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974. On the basis of this preventive detention order the accused was taken into custody from 10-9-1990. On coming to know of this the petitioners filed an application under S.444 of the Criminal Procedure Code for discharging them from the bond executed and for release of the cash deposit. 2. The court below rejected that application and refused to cancel the bond executed by the petitioners. The court below was of the opinion that if the sureties are discharged on the ground that the accused is under detention, it will create difficulty for the court for apprehending him after his release from COFEPOSA custody. Therefore the court below directed that the bond executed by the petitioners shall remain in suspended animation so long as the accused is under detention and that their discharge will be considered on production of the accused after his release from custody. This order is challenged by the petitioners. 3. Sureties execute bond under S.441 of the Code. The discharge of the sureties is dealt with under S.444 of the Code. S.444 reads as follows: 444. Discharge of sureties:-- (1) All or any sureties for the attendance and appearance of a person released on bail may at any time apply to a Magistrate to discharge the bond. either wholly or so far as relates to the applicants. (2) On such application being made. the Magistrate shall issue his warrant of arrest directing that the person so released be brought before him. (3) On the appearance of such person pursuant to the warrant. or on his voluntary surrender. either wholly or so far as relates to the applicants. (2) On such application being made. the Magistrate shall issue his warrant of arrest directing that the person so released be brought before him. (3) On the appearance of such person pursuant to the warrant. or on his voluntary surrender. the Magistrate shall direct the bond to be discharged either wholly or so far as relates to the applicants. and shall call upon such person to find other sufficient sureties. and. if he fails to do so. may commit him to jail." Clause (1) of S.444 Cr. P.C. clearly states that the sureties may at any time apply to Magistrate to discharge the bond either wholly or so far as relates to the applicants. Steps to be taken by the Magistrate are given in sub-sections (2) and (3) of S.444. Sub-section (2) says that on such application. the Magistrate shall issue warrantor arrest directing the person so released be brought to him. Thereafter the Magistrate shall direct the bond to be discharged either wholly or so far as relates to the applicant and then the Magistrate shall call upon the person so released on bail to find out other sufficient sureties and if the person so released is unable to produce any sureties. the Magistrate may commit him to jail. On going by the provisions contained in S.444 the Magistrate has no option but to accept the application of the sureties for discharge and it is also clear that such an application can be filed at any time after the execution of the bond. 4. In the instant case the learned Magistrate has chosen to keep the bond in suspension which is not warranted by any of the provisions of the Code. As the accused has been detained under preventive detention naturally the sureties may not be able to fulfill the conditions undertaken by them as they would not be in a position to produce the accused in court. So. they are perfectly within their rights in seeking cancellation of the bond. 5. In the result. the impugned order passed by the Magistrate is set aside. bail bonds executed by the petitioners are cancelled and the Magistrate is directed to refund Rs.25.000/- each deposited by the petitioners. The criminal miscellaneous case is disposed of as above. Issue copy of this order on usual terms.