HC setback for police

In a setback to the city police, the Hyderabad High Court on Thursday quashed an order issued for the detention of alleged gangster Ayyub Khan.

A division bench comprising Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice U. Durga Prasad Rao was allowing a petition by Ayyub Khan’s wife challenging the detention order passed by the city police commissioner on Jan. 25, 2017.

Ms K. Mohana Reddy, counsel appearing for the petitioner, told the court that the detenue was arrested on December 25, 2016, at Mumbai International Airport and the police commissioner passed the detention order stating that Ayyub Khan was involved in 65 cases and allowing him to move freely would cause a threat to society and public order.

She said that though the commissioner said that Ayyub Khan was involved in 65 cases, he relied on five cases to pass the detention order. These five cases were relating to passport offences and other matters which will not cause any harm or threat to the society.

The counsel further stated that the Preventive Detention Act clearly stipulated that the authorities should furnish all documents to the detenue in the language known to him (mother tongue).

Ms Mohana Reddy said though Ayyub Khan’s mother tongue was Urdu, he was furnished documents in English.

TS Advocate-General D. Prakash Reddy argued that the detenue was a dreaded criminal involved in murder, kidnapping and extortion and was liable to be detained in the interest of society.

After hearing the arguments, the bench held that the detention order was not in accordance with the procedure prescribed under the Preventive Detention Act and was liable to be quashed.