New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up Telangana government for keeping in jail a suspect under preventive detention law for nearly a year, on suspicion that he had stolen five sarees in Hyderabad.
A shocked Chief Justice J.S. Khehar sitting with Justice N.V. Ramana asked the state counsel, “Where are we leading to? What is happening to this country? We have to see that people are not harassed by the state. We thought Telangana is a good state. Even if it is true that he had stolen five sarees, will you keep him in jail for a year in preventive detention. We are going to pass severe strictures if you are not going to give proper explanation for detaining this person.”
Expressing anguish, the Chief Justice further observed “Preventive detention for theft of five sarees? Should we pass strictures? What’s going on in the state of Telangana? You will start arresting everybody? Let us say he has stolen one saree, two sarees or three sarees — for that you arrest a person under preventive detention?”
The SC Bench, however, granted time to counsel Krishna Kumar Singh to file his response and posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks.
High Court had refused to interfere
The Bench was hearing an appeal from one Ch. Eliah who was detained under the AP Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Dacoits, Drug Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic and Land Grabbers Act 1986, since March 19, 2016, till date.
According to the Telangana state, Eliah, was involved in at least three offences of saree stealing under the police station limits of Amberpet, Chikkadpally and Osmania Universitiy within a span of six months preceding his arrest.
He was arrested under the preventive detention law on March 19, 2016, which was affirmed by a State Advisory Board, headed by a retired judge of the State High Court. Eliah moved the Supreme Court after the Hyderabad High Court refused to interfere with the order passed by the detaining authority.
