Preventive Detention Based on Stale Grounds and Verbatim Copying of Police Dossier Is Unlawful

The petitioner, Gh. Hassan Dar, was detained under Section 8(1)(a)(i) of the J&K Public Safety Act, 1978, via Order No. 08/DMK/PSA dated 30.04.2025 by the District Magistrate, Kupwara.

The detention was based on allegations of anti-national activities and three specific FIRs from 2002, 2004, and 2005.

However, the petitioner had been acquitted in all three criminal cases by competent courts.

The petitioner challenged the order on grounds of vagueness, non-supply of material, lack of fresh activity, and the use of stale grounds.

1. Whether a detention order based on incidents occurring 20 years prior, for which the detenue was acquitted, satisfies the "live link" requirement for preventive detention.

2. Whether the verbatim reproduction of a police dossier in the detention grounds indicates a non-application of mind by the detaining authority.

3. Whether recourse to preventive detention is valid when ordinary laws are sufficient to address the alleged activities.

The court applied Section 8(1)(a)(i) of the J&K Public Safety Act, 1978, regarding detention detrimental to state security.

It relied on Sama Aruna v. State of Telangana, establishing that incidents 9 to 14 years old are "stale" and snap the "live and proximate link" required for subjective satisfaction.

The principle from Chaju Ram v. State of J&K was used to hold that vague grounds without specific details invalidate detention.

Following Jai Singh v. State of J&K, the court held that verbatim copying of a police dossier constitutes non-application of mind.

Finally, it applied Rekha v. State of Tamil Nadu, which mandates that preventive detention is illegal if ordinary penal laws are sufficient to deal with the situation.

The Court found that the Detaining Authority relied exclusively on FIRs from 2002 to 2005 to justify a detention in 2025.

Since the petitioner was acquitted in those cases and no fresh prejudicial activities were specifically attributed to him, the "causal connection" or "live link" between his past conduct and the need for detention was broken.

The Court observed that the grounds of detention were a "verbatim copy" of the police dossier, which proved the District Magistrate failed to independently apply his mind to the necessity of the order.

Furthermore, the allegations were deemed too vague for the petitioner to exercise his fundamental right to make an effective representation.

The Court reasoned that since the authorities failed to demonstrate why ordinary law was insufficient, the preventive measure was an unlawful substitute for the normal criminal justice process.

The High Court quashed Detention Order No. 08/DMK/PSA of 2025 dated 30.04.2025 and directed that the petitioner, Gh. Hassan Dar, be released from custody forthwith, provided he is not required in any other case.