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2002 DIGILAW 309 (GAU)

Akan Swargiary @ Young Sangma @ Yanki Sharlee v. Union of India

2002-07-22

D.BISWAS, P.P.NAOLEKAR

body2002
D.BISWAS,J.— By this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India the detenu Akan Swargiary @ Young Sangma @ Yanki Sharlee seeks to challenge the order of detention passed by the District Magistrate, Goalpara on 18.2.2001 under sub-section (2) of Section 3 of the National Security Act, 1980. The order of detention reads as follows: "ORDER OF DETENTION UNDER NSA 1980 Whereas the undersigned is satisfied on the basis of Dossier prepared by the Superintendent of Police, Goalpara vide his letter No. LP/DSB/V(D)/Dossier/2002/3713 dated 15.2.2002 in respect of the person known as Akan Swargiary @ Young Sangma, S/O Siva Swargiary, vill, Soukuchi Lokhara, P.S. Basistha, Dist, Kamrup (Assam) with a view to prevent him from acting in a manner prejudicial to the security of the State and to the maintenance of public order, it is necessary to detain him under the NSA, 1980. Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) and (3) of Section 3 of the NSA the undersigned hereby directs that the said Akan Swargiary @ Young Sangma S/O Siva Swargiary be detained in the District Jail, Goalpara until further orders. The person against whom this Order of preventive detention is made for compelling reasons is already in judicial custody but is likely to be released on bail whereupon it is highly probable that he will indulge in activities prejudicial to the maintenance of public order and the security of the State after his release. Given under my hand and seal this 18th day ofFebruary/2002. (KN Buragohain) District Magistrate Goalpara Memo No. GC-4/2002/8 dated Goalpara the th Feb/2002 Copy to: 1)............................ 2)............................ 3)............................ 4)............................ 5)............................ 6) ............................ 7) The Superintendent of District Jail, Goalpara for causing service of the copies of the grounds of detention (in English & Assamese) to the detenu properly on obtaining signature in each page and keeping the detenu on Jail custody under NSA. (3 copies). 2. The order of detention has been challenged primarily on the ground that the documents referred to in the detention order as well as in the grounds furnished were not supplied to the detenu and, thereby, he was prevented from making effective representation. (3 copies). 2. The order of detention has been challenged primarily on the ground that the documents referred to in the detention order as well as in the grounds furnished were not supplied to the detenu and, thereby, he was prevented from making effective representation. It is further pleaded that there was delay in reporting the matter by the State Govt as well as the detaining authority to the next higher authority in violation of the provisions of sub-section (4) and sub-section (5) of Section 3 of the Act, besides the vice of non-application of mind. 3. We have heard Mr. N Zaman, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mrs. A Hazarika, learned State counsel. 4. The State as well as the Central Govt. submitted their return in which they denied the contentions raised in the petition. 5. Mr. Zaman, learned counsel during the course of argument submitted that the detention order is liable to be set aside alone on the ground that there was no supply of the copies of the documents referred to in the detention order as well as the grounds furnished. Despite that the detenu submitted a representation on 2.3.2002 wherein it has been stated that the grounds of detention were served afterwards and the documents relied upon or referred therein were not served on him. 6. In para 4 of the affidavit filed by the State, it is submitted that the order of detention along with the grounds of detention and other documents were supplied to the detenu within time and the same was received by him on 18.2.2002 by affixing his signature. 7. Annexure-1 is the order of detention which shows that the detaining authority had drawn his satisfaction on the basis of dossier prepared by the Superintendent of Police, Goalpara which was forwarded to him vide letter dated 15.2.2002. This order of detention was admittedly served on the detenu who was already in custody in connection with other cases on 18.2.2002. Signature of the detenu is there on the grounds furnished (Annexure-2) which shows that the detenu received the detention order and the grounds of detention on 18.2.2002. The detention order (Annexure-1) shows that the order along with the grounds were served vide Memo No. GC-4/2002/8 dated 18.2.2002. Signature of the detenu is there on the grounds furnished (Annexure-2) which shows that the detenu received the detention order and the grounds of detention on 18.2.2002. The detention order (Annexure-1) shows that the order along with the grounds were served vide Memo No. GC-4/2002/8 dated 18.2.2002. The copy marked to the detenu shows that the grounds of detention (in English and Assamese) were sent to the Superintendent of District Jail, Goalpara for service on the detenu. The Memo, however, does not speak of any documents having been forwarded along with the detention order and the grounds of detention. 8. In view of the affidavit of the State Govt. as stated above, specific question was asked to Mrs. Hazarika, learned State counsel to show from the office file that the documents were in fact furnished as pleaded. Mrs. Hazarika, however, could not show anything from the office file to enable us even to draw a presumption that the documents relied upon by the detaining authority were served on the detenu. We have also examined the office file in abortive search of proof of service. It is clear that the detaining authority relying upon the dossier sent to him by the Superintendent of Police passed the detention order, but the documents mentioned in the dossier and/or referred to in the grounds of detention were not supplied to the detenu. 9. In Khudiram Das -vs- State of West Bengal, (1975) 2 SCC 81 the Supreme Court held that 'grounds' mean all the basic fact and materials which have been taken into consideration by the detaining authority in making the order of detention and on which, therefore, the order of detention is based. Nothing less than all the basic facts and materials which influenced the detaining authority in making the order of detention would suffice and meet the requirement of the first safeguard in Article 22(5) of the Constitution. 10. In the case of M. Ahmedkutty, Appellant -vs~ Union of India & Another, respondents, reported in (1990) 2 SCC 1 in para 19 and 20, the Supreme Court held as follows: "19. The next submission is that of non-supply of the bail application and the bail order. 10. In the case of M. Ahmedkutty, Appellant -vs~ Union of India & Another, respondents, reported in (1990) 2 SCC 1 in para 19 and 20, the Supreme Court held as follows: "19. The next submission is that of non-supply of the bail application and the bail order. This Court as observed in MangalbhaiMotiram Patel v. State of Maharashtra has 'forged' certain procedural safeguards for citizens under preventive detention.'The constitutional imperatives in Article 22(5) are to fold : (1) The detaining authority must, as soon as may be, i.e. as soon as practicable, after the detention communicate to the detenu the grounds on which the order of detention has been made, and (2) the detaining authority must afford the detenu the earliest opportunity of making the representation against the order of detention. The right is to make an effective representation and when some documents are referred to or relied on in the grounds of detention, without copies of such documents, the grounds of detention would not be complete. The detenu has, therefore, the right to be furnished with the grounds of detention along with the documents so referred to or relied on. If mere is failure or even delay in furnishing those documents it would amount to denial of the right to make an effective representation. This has been settled by a long line of decisions : Ramchandra A. Kamat v. Union of India, Frenches Coralie Mullin v. W.C. Khambra, Iccu Devi Choraria v. Union of India, Pritam Nath Hoon v. Union of India, Tushar Thalcer v. Union of India, Lallubhai Jogibhai Patel v. Union of India, Kiht Kumar Chaman Lai Kundaliya v. Union of India and Ano Carolina D'Souza v. Union of India. 20. It is immaterial whether the detenu already knew about their contents or not. In Mehrunissa v. State of Maharashtra it wasaeld that the fact that the detenu was aware of the contents of the documents not furnished was immaterial and non-furnishing of the copy of the seizure list was held to be fatal. To appreciate this point one has to bear in mind that the detenu is in jail and has to access to his own documents. In Mohd. To appreciate this point one has to bear in mind that the detenu is in jail and has to access to his own documents. In Mohd. Zakir v. Delhi Administration it was reiterated that it being a constitutional imperative for the detaining authority to give the documents relied and referred to in the order of detention pan pasni the grounds of detention, those should be , furnished at the earliest so mat the detenu could make an effective representation immediately instead of waiting for the documents to be supplied with. The question of demanding the documents was wholly irrelevant and the infirmity In that regard was violative of constitutional safeguards enshrined in Article 22(5)." 11. Since the requirement of furnishing the documents relied upon has not been fulfilled in the instant case, as per mandate of provision of Article 22(5) the detention order has to be quashed. 12. In the result, the petition is allowed. The detention order dated 18.2.2001 passed by the District Magistrate, Goalpara is hereby quashed. The detenu Akan Swargiary @ Young Sangma @ Yanki Snarlee is directed to be released forthwith.