C. Elumalai Vs. State of Tamil Nadu
[1984] INSC 197 (26 October 1984)
VENKATARAMIAH, E.S. (J) VENKATARAMIAH, E.S.
(J) MISRA, R.B. (J)
CITATION: 1985 AIR 118 1985 SCR (1)1057 1984
SCC (4) 539 1984 SCALE (2)645
ACT:
The Tamil Nadu Borstal Schools Act 1925
Section 10-A- Adolescent offender-Convicted of capital offence Sentenced to
life imprisonment-Detention in Borstal School after attaining 23 years of
age-Whether valid.
HEADNOTE:
The State Government of Tamil Nadu cannot
keep any adolescent offender who is convicted of a capital offence but
sentenced to imprisonment of life in respect of whom an order is made under
section 10-A of the Tamil Nadu Borstal Schools Act in a Borstal School or in
any other kind of detention after he has attained 23 years of age The State
Government is therefore directed to release forthwith all such inmates of the
Borstal Schools in Tamil Nadu who have attained 23 years of age. [1058E-F]
State of Andhra Pradesh v. Vallabhapuram Ravi [1984] 2 SCALE 386, followed.
In re. Ganapati, 1983 Criminal Law Journal
509, over- ruled.
ORIGINAL JURISDICTION: Writ Petition
(Criminal) No. 981 of 1984.
(Under article 32 of the Constitution) Navin
Malhotra and Harjinder Singh for the Petitioners.
K. Parasaram, Attorney General and A. V. Rangam
for the Respondent.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by G
VENKATARAMIAH, J. We have heard Shri Navin Malhotra, amicus curiae and the
learned Attorney-General for the State of Tamil Nadu. In State of Andhra
Pradesh v. Vallabhapuram Ravi 1058 (Criminal Appeal No. 254 of 1984) in which
judgment was delivered on September 14, 1984 this Court has held that
adolescent offenders kept in a Borstal School by virtue of orders made by the
State Government under section 10-A of the Andhra Borstal Schools Act, 1925
cannot be detained in the Borstal School or in any other place after they have
attained 23 years of age and that they should be released.
The provisions of the Tamil Nadu Borstal
Schools Act, 1925 are identical with the provisions of the Andhra Borstal
Schools Act, 1925. In the judgment referred to above the decision of the Madras
High Court in In re. Ganapati which had taken the view that after section 433A
of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 came into force a person who was
convicted of an offence punish able under section 302 of Indian Penal Code but
sentenced to imprisonment for life and who was by virtue of an order passed
under section 10-A of the Tamil Nadu Borstal Schools Act, 1925 detained in a
Borstal School could not be released before he completed 14 years of detention
has also been overruled. In the circumstances it has to be held that the State
Government of Tamil Nadu cannot keep any adolescent offender who is convicted
of a capital offence but sentenced to imprisonment of life in respect of whom
an order is made under section 10-A of the Tamil Nadu Borstal Schools Act in a
Borstal School or in any other kind of detention after he has attained 23 years
of age. We, therefore, direct the Government of the State of Tamil Nadu to
release all such inmates of the Borstal Schools in Tamil Nadu who have attained
23 years of age forthwith.
If the petitioner C. Elumalai satisfies the
above condition he is also entitled to be released and if he is not in
detention he shall not be taken back into custody.
The writ petition is accordingly allowed.
N.V.K. Petition allowed.
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