TMI Blog1998 (12) TMI 607X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ernment of Tamil Nadu on 18.12.1997 and she continues to be in detention. A representation forwarded by her on 13.1.1998, was rejected by the Government of Tamil Nadu. She filed a habeas corpus petition before the High Court of Madras in which the detention order was challenged mainly on three grounds. first is that there was delay in considering the representation submitted on her behalf. Second is that her family members were not informed about the place of detention nor even about the detention. The third is that report of the Advisory Board was not submitted within the statutory period of seven days as contemplated under Section 11 of the TN Act. A Division Bench of the Madras High Court has repelled all the aforesaid three contentions ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... on 9.2.1998 itself. Thereafter the file was considered by the Deputy Secretary on 9.2.1998 itself. Thereafter the file was considered by the Deputy Secretary who in turn sent the same to the Minister for Law for approval. The representation was considered and rejected by the Minister for Law on 14.2.1998 as he was away on camp from Headquarter on the dates in between. Thus the file was not unnecessarily held up at any level but moved from level to level promptly. According to the learned counsel it is no explanation that the Minister concerned was away on camp from the Headquarters, particularly since a similar stand was disapproved in Mohinnuddin's case (supra). A two Judge Bench in the said decision declined to accept the explanat ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... rt repeatedly over the past three decades, the Executive, namely, the State Government and its officers continue to behave in their old, lethargic fashion and like all other files rusting in the secretariat for various reasons including red tapism, the representation made by a person deprived of his liberty, continue to be dealt with in the same fashion. The government and its officers will not give up their habit of maintaining a consistent attitude of lethargy. So also, this Court will not hesitate in quashing the order of detention to restore the 'liberty and freedom' to the person whose detention is allowed to become bad by the government itself on account of his representation not being disposed of at the earliest. It is a ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... itution or under the concerned detention law, within which the representation should be dealt with. The requirement however, is that there should not be supine indifference, slackness or callous attitude in considering the representation. Any unexplained delay in the disposal of representation would be a breach of the constitutional imperative and it would render the continued detention impermissible and illegal. The position, therefore, now is that if delay was caused on account of any indifference or lapse in considering the representation such delay will adversely affect further detention of the prisoner. In other words, it is for the authority concerned to explain the delay, it any, in disposing the representation. It is not enough to ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... delay in considering the representation from 9.2.1998 to 14.2.1998. In that case also the detention was under Section 3(1) of the Act. The detenu made representation again the detention which was received by the State Government conveyed the rejection of the representation on 23.6.1992. The detenu received the rejection order on 26.6.1992. It was submitted that there was an inordinate long delay in dealing with the representation and that the detenu was entitled to have the detention order quashed. This Court noticed that in the counter affidavit filed by the Deputy Secretary to the State Government the manner in which the representation was dealt with after its receipt on 18.5.1992 had been stated in detail. The Court then observed: W ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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