New Delhi: The Supreme Court yesterday told the high courts to pronounce their verdicts as expeditiously as possible in the cases involving the personal liberty of a person and more so when total detention period is not more than one year or less.
“We remind all the High Courts that in a matter of this nature affecting the personal liberty of a citizen, it is the duty of the Courts to take all endeavours and efforts for an early decision,” said a bench of Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
Pronouncing the judgment, Justice Sathasivam said: “We request all the High Courts to give priority for the disposal of the matters relating to personal liberty of a citizen, particularly, when the detention period is for one year or less than a year and, more so, after hearing the parties, the decision must be known to the affected party without unreasonable delay.”
The court said this while rejecting an appeal by Baby Devassy Chully alias Bobby who had challenged the March 16, 2006, order of Bombay High Court by which it had rejected his petition challenging his detention order. Bobby had moved the high court on June 2, 2005.
Bobby had challenged the May 3, 2005, order by a joint secretary directing his detention under Section 3(1) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974.
IANS
