SMT. ARUNA KUMARIversusGOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AND OTHERS

                               SMT. ARUNA KUMARI
                                                                                    A
                                            v.
           GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AND OTHERS.

                                 NOVEMBER 11, 1987

                 [A.P. SEN AND LAUT MOHAN SHARMA, JJ.]                              B

                     Prevention of Blackmarketing and Maintenance of Supplies of
               Essential Commodities Act, 1980: sections 3 and 14-Detenu-A
               contractor-Levy cement meant for use in railway construction work-
               Diverted for private construction work-Contractor detained for acting
          '    in a manner prejudicial to maintenance of essential supplies-Validity C
      ...\..__
.....-f 1      of detention order.

              Detention order-Delay in passing of-Not by itself a vitiating
        factor-Court cannot examine probative value of evidence available to
        detaining authority-Court cannot examine propriety or sufficiency of
        grounds of detention-Detenu has no right to get his successive re- D
        presentations based on the same grounds rejected earlier to be formally
        disposed of again.

              Criminal Procedure Code, 1973: Section 161-Statement of
 , ~·    detenu accepting allegations against himself-Whether can be relied
         upon for purposes of preventive detention.                         E



--             The husband of the petitioner had been detained by an order
         dated 15th May, 1987 under Section 3 of the Prevention of Black-
         marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act,
         1980. The grounds served on the detenu for making the detention order
         alleged that the detenu had undertaken contract works of various types F
         under the South Central Railway, and indulged in clandestine business
         of diversion of levy cement meant for use in the Masonary Ballast Wall
         alongwith the railway track, and had thus acted in a manner prejudicial
         to the maintenance of supplies of cement, an essential commodity.

               The facts mentioned, that on the receipt of information that levy G
         cement was being transferred into non-levy bags for its dh·ersion to
         works not intended, the Inspector of Police, Vigilance Cell made a
         surprise visit, and found that the information passed on to him was
         correct. He conducted a raid and recovered 400 bags of levy cement. A
         criminal case under Clauses 12 and 13 of the Andhra Pradesh Levy
         Cement Distribution (Licensing and Regulation) Order, 1982 read with H
                                            973
     974                    SUPREME COURT REPORTS            [1988] I S.C.R.

A Section 7 and 8 of the Essential Commodities, Act, 1955 was commen-            )lo'·'
    ced and further investigation proceeded. Both the detenu and his
    servant absconded and were ultimately arrested on 18th March, 1987
    when the detenu confessed before the Inspector of Police. The detenu
    was released on bail the following day, i.e. 19th March, 1987. On the
    consideration of the aforesaid circumstances, the District Magistrate
Ill was of the opinion that the mere launching of a criminal case against the
    detenu would not effectively prevent him from acting in a manner pre-        )·
    judicial to the maintenance of supplies of cement, and therefore,
    ordered detention, which order was later confirmed by the Advisory
    Board.                                                                            -.
                                                                                  i
            The detenu filed his first representation on 20th May, 1987 ,_.-/...
c    which was rejected by the State Government as also the Advisory Board
                                                                            ;         ,_
     later.

        A writ petition was filed before the High Court on 18th June, 1987
  challenging the detention order, while the writ petition in this Court
D was filed on 13th June, 1987.

           A second representation on behalf of the detenu was filed by bis
     cousin on 5th June, 1987 for revocation of the detention order. This
     representation remained unattended, until the State Government re-
     minded the Central Government in this regard after filing of the writ       y"
E    petition in this Court, and it was only then that the Central Government
     rejected the same on 2nd September, 1987,

           The High Court dismissed the writ petition on 18th July, 1987.             --

        In the Special Leave Petition as also the writ petition under Art. 32
F the order  of detention was challenged on the grounds of (1) delay of
  about 5 months in passing the order, (2) the allegation against the           --<-
  detenu of diverting levy cement for private use was incorrect, (3) the
  second representation filed by the detenu's cousin remained undisposed
  by the Central Government for about 3 months, (4) the sponsoring
  officer's default in not placing relevant facts before the detaining
G authority before the impugned order was passed, and (5) the detention
  order was passed on the basis of a solitary incident.

           Dismissing the Writ Petition and Special Leave Petition,

          HELD: I. Delay cannot by itsdf vitiate the decision to detain a
tt   person. [980G]
                           SMT. ARUNA v. GOVf. OF A.P.                       975

           Rajendra Prasad v. State of Uttar Pradesh and another, [1981] 4 A
     SCC 558; Smt. Hemlata Kantilal Shah v. State of Maharashtra, [1981] 4
     SCC 647 and Malwa Shaw v. The State of.West Bengal, A.I.R. 1974 SC
     957 referred to.

            In the instant case, there is no doubt that in the police records the
      detenu was considered to be an absconder throughout till his arrest on        B
      18th March, 1987. The affidavit of the District Magistrate filed before
      the High Court indicates that further investigation in the case continued
      even after the arrest of the detenu and that other relevant information
      could be collected only after and thns the investigation was complete on
      13th May, 1987. The matter was placed before the District Magistrate
 :-~, on 14th May, 1987 who paSlied the impugned order in these circum-
 '    stances, here is no doubt that the respondents have satisfactorily
                                                                                    c
      explained the delay in passing the detentloo order. [980E-F l

            2. The sufficiency of the materials available to the detaining
      authority is not to be examined by the Court. This Court while consi-
      dering the petitioner's writ application is not sitting in appeal over the    D
      detention order, and it is not to go into and assess the probative value of
      the evidence available to the detaining authority. A detention order not
      supported by any evidence may have to be quashed, but that is not so in
      the present case. [982C, 981E]

           3. Section 14 of the Act clothes the authority with the power of         E
     revoking the detention order but the duty to exerci~e it arises only
     where new and relevant facts and circumstances come to light. There is
     no right in favour of the detenu to get his successive representations
     based on the same grounds rejected earlier to be formally disposed of
     again. No period of limitation is fixed for disposal of an application
--{- under Section 14. [9821>-F]                                                    F

            Haradhan Saha and another v. The State of West Bengal and
      others, [1975] 1 SCR 778; Sat Pal v. The State of Punjab, [1982] 1 SSC
      12 and State of Uttar Pradesh v. Zavad Zama Khan, [1984] 3 SSC 505,
      referred to.
                                                                                    G
            4. It has long been established that the subjective satisfaction of
      the detaining authority as regards the factual existence of the condition
      on which the order of the detention can be made, namely, the grounds
      of detention constitute the foundation for the exercise of the power of
      detention and the court cannot be invited to consider the propriety or
      sufficiency of the grounds on which the satisfaction of the detaining         H
    976                    SUPREME COURT REPORTS            [ 1988] 1 S.C.R

A   authority is based. Nor can the court on a review of the grounds, substi-   )<' .,.
    tote its own opinion for that of the authority. [983D I

           In the instant case, the ground of detention is only one, namely,
    that the detenu was acting prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies of
B commodity, i.e., levy cement, essential to the community, by diverting
    it to the open market. The grounds of detention served alongwith the
    order are nothing but a narration of facts. The question wheher the         ).
    detentu was acting in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of sup-
  • plies essential to the life of the community is a matter of inference to be
    drawn from facts. It could not be said that there was no material upon         ""II
    which the subjective satisfaction of the detaining authority could be
C based. It appears from the grounds i.e. the facts set out that the detenu ,-'>
    had made a statement admitting that he had diverted 600 bags of levy '
    cement issued to him for use in the masonary ballast wall along the
    railway track, and therefore, the District Magistrate was justified in
    coming to the conclusion that he (the detenu) was acting fu a manner
    prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies of the commodity essential to
0
    the community. [983E-H]

        5. If 'materials and vital facts' which would influence the mind of
  the detaining authority one way ar the other on the question whether or
  not to make the detention order, are not placed, it would vitiate the
  subjective satisfaction rendering the detention order illegal. That is not
E so, in the instant case. There was ample material before the District


                                                                                    --
  Magistrate for him to base his subjective satisfaction as to the necessity
  for passing the detention order. [984C]

        Asha Devi v. K. Shiveraj, Addi. Chief Secretary to the Govern-
  ment of Gujarat and another, [1979] 2 SCR 215; Mohd. Shakee/ Wahid
F Ahmed v. State of Maharashtra and others, [1983] 2 SCR 614; Kurjibhai
  Dhanjibhai Patel v. State of Gujarat, [1985] l Scale 964 and Pushpadevi
  M. Jatia v. M.L. Wadhawan, Additional Secretary, Government of
  India and others, [1987] 3 SCC 367, referred to.

       ORIGINAL           JURISDICTION: Writ          Petition    (Criminal)
G No. 529 of 1987.

          Under Article 32 of the Constitution oflndia.

          V.M. Tarkunde, G. Narsimahullu and Nalin Kumar for the
    Petitioner.
H
                   SMT. ARUNA v. GOVT. OF A.P. [SHARMA, J.l                 977

          E. Manohar, Advocate-General, B. Datta, Additional Solicitor
      General, T.V.S.N. Chari, Ms. V. Grover, G. Ramesh and Ms. A. A
      Subhashini for the Respondents.

           The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

            SHARMA J. K. Madhava Rao, husband of the petitioner, has B
      been detained under Section 3 of the Prevention of Blackmarketing
      and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980. The
      petitioner filed an application under Article 226 of the Constitution
      before the Andhra Pradesh High Court for a writ of habeas corpus
      which was dismissed on 18. 7. 1987. The Special Leave Petition is direc-
      ted against the said order. The petitioner has also challenged the
      detention order by the application under Article 32 of the Constitution C
      before this Court in Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 529 of 1987.

             2. The grounds served on the detenu for making the detention
      order dated 15.3.1987 allege that he (the detenu Madhava Rao) under-
      takes contract works of various types under South Central Railway             D
      (SCR) and indulged in clandestine business of diversion of levy cement
      meant for use in the Masonry Ballast Wall along with the railway track
      on the suburban section between Kachiguda and Falaknuma Railway
      Stations, and thus acted in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of
      supplies of cement, an essential commodity. The facts mentioned are,
      that on receipt of an information on 18. 12. 1987 that levy cement was        E
      being transferred into non-levy cement bags for its diversion to works
      not intended, the Inspector of Police, Vigilance Cell with his staff
      made a surprise visit in presence of witnesses at about 1 p.m. the same
      day, to the site of a private building under construction, and found the
      information passed on to him to be correct. On inquiry it was dis-
      covered that a house belonging to one Smt. Mahati Singh, daughter of          F
-r-   Y. Krishna Murthy, Divisional Railway Manager, was under construc-
       tion under the supervision of the detenu, and the levy cement transfer-
       red into non-levy cement bags, was being stored in a nearby shed for
       use in the construction of the said house. The watchman of Y. Krishna
       Murthy, named Varala Vollaiah, was kept there as guard. The detenu
      was supervising the construction of the house through his employee            G
       James George. The workmen engaged in the work were also examined
       by the police. The facts which came to light indicated that two days
       earlier, that is, on 16. U.1986, 200 bags of levy cemertt reached the site
       and were unloaded in the shed. James George instructed the labourers
       to transfer the cement into non-levy cement bags, and his instruction
       was carried out on the following day, the 17th of December, 1986 and         H
    978                   SUPREME COURT REPORTS            [ 1988] 1 S.C.R.

A   non-levy cement bags were restitched. Yollaiah, the watchman,
    further stated that the cement was sent by the detenu through James
    George who had informed the witness that cement or two other lorries
    had also been unloaded in the nearby Kakatiyangar and stored in a
    room belonging to the Nageshwar Rao for similar misuse. On receiv-
    ing this information the Police Inspector raided the plot in Kakatiyana-
B   gar mentioned by the witness and recovered 400 bags of levy cement.
    A criminal case under Clauses 12 and 13 of the A.P. Levy Cement
    Distribution (Licensing and Regulation) Order, 1982, read with Sec-
    tions 7 and 8 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 was commenced
    and further investigation proceeded.


c Smt. 3.Mahati
          The investigation continued for three months till 18.3.1987.
                Singh and her father Y. Krishna Murthy were also
   examined by the police and they confirmed that the detenu Madhava
   Rao was looking after the construction of Smt. Mahati Singh's house.
   The evidence collected by the police indicated that 1000 bags of levy
   cement was handed over to the detenu through his employee Babu on
ID 16.12.1986 and out of this stock 600 bags on three lorries were
   despatched to Habshiguda, which were discovered by the Inspector on
   the 18th of December 1986. Both Madhava Rao and his servant James
   absconded and were ultimately arrested on 18.3.1987, when the
   detenu is alleged to have confessed before the Inspector of Police. The
   detenu was released on bail the following day, that is, 19.3.1987. All
E these facts were mentioned in the grounds and it was stated that on a
   consideration of the entire circumstances the District Magistrate was
   of the opinion that mere launching of the criminal case against the
   detenu would not effectively prevent him from acting in a manner
   prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies of cement. The order was
   later confirmed by the Advisory Board.
F
         4. The detenu filed his first representation on the 20th of May
   1987 which was rejected by the State Government as also the Advisory
   Board later. In the meantime a writ application being W.P. No. 6636
   of 1987 was filed before the High Court on 1.6.1987 challenging the
   detention order. The Writ Petition in this Court was filed on
c  13.7.1987.

          5. A second representation on behalf of the detenu was filed by
    his cousin P. Lakshmana Rao on 5.6.1987, in which a prayer was made
    for revocation of the detention order. It was been contended on behalf
    of the petitioner that it was the duty of the Central Government to
1-1 consider and dispose of this representation promptly which was not
                       SMT. ARUNA v. GOVT. OF A.P. (SHARMA, J.l               979

          done. It is said that the representation remained unattended, until the    A
          State Government reminded the Central Government in this regard
          after filing of the present writ petition and it was only then that the
          Central Government rejected the same on 2. 9. 1987. The reply is that
          by this representation the detenu's cousin merely reiterated the points
          already taken in the first representation of the detenu which had been
          after consideration dismissed, and it was, therefore, not necessary to     B
          deal with the same points over and over again. Besides, this represen-
          tation also was considered and rejected by the Central Government
          later.

                     6. Mr. Tarkunde, learned counsel for the petitioner, challenged
     ...>,._, the order of detention on the grounds of: (i) delay of about five months C
,..,, 1       in passing the order, (ii) the allegation against the detenu of diverting
              levy cement for private use being incorrect, (iii) the second representa-
              tion filed by the detenu's cousin having remained undisposed of by the
              Central Government for about three months, (iv) the sponsoring offi-
              cer's default in not placing all the relevant facts before the detaining
              authority before the impugned order was passed, and (v) the order D
              having been passed on the basis of a solitary incident. During his
              argument the learned counsel did not press the last point and it is,
              therefore, not necessary to deal with it except pointing out that having
              regard to the statement made by the detaining authority, the District
  ,. '-{      Magistrate, that in view of the circumstances of the case including the
               fact that the detenu was engaged in executing many contract works for E
               the Railways, it was essential for preventing him from indulging in
               subversive acts similar to the one stated in the grounds, to detain him,
               there is no merit in the point which was rightly not pressed.

                7. Mr. Tarkunde strenuously urged that in view of the long delay
          of about five months from the alleged incident on the 18th of F
          December, 1986, in passing of the impugned order, the same is fit to
          be quashed. Learned Advocate General, appearing for the State of
          Andhra Pradesh, pointed out that the detenu was absconding for three
          months until he was arrested on 18.3.1987. In reply to the argument
          that the detenu could not have been absconding, as this fact does not
          appear to have been mentioned in the orders of the criminal court G
          dealing with the bail applications, the learned Advocate General
          placed before us the· case diary of the criminal case in which the
          accused Madhava Rao was stated to be absconding on several dates
          from December 1986 to March 1987. By way of illustration, the letter
          of the Inspector of Police dated 26.12.1986 addressed to the Public
          Prosecutor, High Court, Hyderabad may be seen wherein it was stated H
     980                   SUPREME COURT REPORTS            [1988) 1 S.C.R.

A  in paragraph 6 that Madhava Rao and Jam es were absconding since
   the date of commission of the offence. In the next letter dated 1.1.1987
   they were again described as absconding. The copy of the diary Part-I
   dated 12.1.1987 states that nobody was supplying the whereabouts of
   Madhava Rao. Similarly the diary dated 15.1.1987 mentions that
B Madhava Rao contractor was absconding and his employees were also
   not available. The search for the absconding persons was being con-
   tinued throughout February and March 1987 till the detenu was
   arrested as is fully supported by the case diary of later dates. In the
   meantime two applications for anticipatory bail were filed one after
   the other on behalf of Madhava Rao before the the criminal Court and
   it is true that the orders passed thereon did not state that the accused
c was absconding, but for that reason the diary of various dates mention-
   ing the fact cannot be ignored and it is not legitimate to claim that
   Madhava Rao was not absconding. We repeatedly asked learned
   counsel for the petitioner to show any material indicating that the
   detenu was present on any date before the criminal Court or was
D  available   to the police but it was conceded that there was no such
   document. In the second application for anticipatory bail reliance was
   placed on a medical certificate issued by a doctor. The diary indicates
   that the police inquired from the doctor on the 3rd of March 1987 about
   the same pointing out that the accused was an absconder. There was,
   therefore, no doubt at all that in the police records the detenu was
E  considered    to be an absconder throughout till his arrest on the 18th of
  March, 1987. The affidavit of the District Magistrate filed before the
  High Court indicates that the further investigation in the case con-
  tinued even after the arrest of Madhava Rao and the details of the
  ownership of the house in construction and the neighbouring shed and
  other similar relevant information could be collected only later and
F thus the investigation was complete on 13.5.1987. The matter was
  placed before the District Magistrate on 14.5.1987 and he passed the
  impugned order on the following day, that is, 15.5.1987. Having re-
  gard to the circumstances, there is no doubt that the respondents have
  satisfactorily explained the delay in passing the order. The delay can-
  not by itself vitiate the decision to detain a person and this is fully
  demonstrated by the cases of Rajendra Prasad v. State of Uttar Pradesh
G
  and another, [ 1981) 4 sec 558 wherein the order was passed after
  seven months, Smt. Hemlata Kantilal Shah v. State of Maharashtra,
  [1981) 4 SCC 647 and Malwa Shaw v. The State of West Bengal, A.LR.
  1974 SC 957 wherein the orders of detention were passed five months
  later. The first point urged on behalf of the petitioner, therefore, is
H rejected.
                  SMT. ARUNA v. GOVT. OF A.P. [SHARMA, J.l             981

             8. In support of his second point Mr. Tarkunde contended that it A
      is open to the petitioner to show that the levy cement which was being
      transferred into non-levy cemerit bags did not belong to Madhava Rao,
      and the impugned order having been passed on that assumption is,
      therefore, fit to be quashed. In other words, the learned counsel said,
      that the ground mentioned for the detention being non-existent the
      application must succeed. Reliance was placed on a certificate dated B
      23.6.1987 of the office of the Divisional Railway Manager (Works),
      Hyderabad in reply to a letter by one K. Eswara Rao that 1000 bags of
      cement issued to him on 16.12.1986 was Puzzolon Portland Cement,
      Pyramid Brand of Pariyan Company and it was urged that as the 5
      empty bags having the marks of "Ajanta Brand Kesoram, Basant
      Nagar (A.P.) ·Portland Pozzolana Cement" as stated in the Panchnama C
       (page 82 of the paperbook of the Writ Petition) was found by the
       police, it must be assumed that the levy cement which was being trans-
      ferred to empty bags was not the same which was issued to the detenu.
       Learned Advocate General, appearing for the respondent State, re-
       plied that there was sufficient material on the records of the case on
       the basis of which the detaining authority could have legitimately D
       assumed that the cement in question was part of the cement issued to
       Madhava Rao. Before examining the point urged on behalf of the
       petitioner on merits, it must be pointed out that this Court while
       considering petitioner's writ application is not sitting in appeal over
       the detention order, and it is not for us to go into and assess the



-
       probative value of the evidence available to the detaining authority. E
       Of course, a detention order not supported by any evidence may have
       to be quashed, but that is not the position here. There was clearly
       sufficient material before the District Magistrate to justify the forming
       of his opinion as stated earlier. The question was not raised in the writ
       petition filed before the High Court, and the plea based upon the
-r-    brand of cement was belatedly taken in the case and has been dealt F
       with at same length in the judgment of the High Court which is under
       challenge in the Special Leave Petition. We do not consider it neces-
       sary to repeat them but we would mention briefly the argument of the
       learned Advocate General which appears to be well founded. Our
        attention was drawn to the Gatepass (page 154 of the paperbook of the
       writ petition) showing the issuance of the levy cement "to the con- G
        tractor", that is, Madhava Rao, which was signed by Mohammad
        Chand on behalf of the Railways and Babu, Madhava Rao's emp-
        loyees. This does not mention the name of Eashwar Rao, the other
        employee of the contractor. It is not denied on behalf of the detenu
        that he has been executing many contract works for the Railways, and
        therefore it cannot be presumed that the same consignment was the H
     982                   SUPREME COURT REPORTS            [1988] 1 S.C.R.

   subject matter of the Gate-pass as well as the certificate relied upon on
 A behalf of the petitioner. The point now urged on the basis of the brand
   of cement was taken on behalf of the petitioner belatedly as mentioned
   earlier. Besides, the detenu accepted the allegations against himself in
   his statement recorded under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal
   Procedure. It is true that it may not be a legally recorded confession
 B which can be used as substantive evidence against the accused in the
   criminal case, but it cannot be completely brushed aside on that
   ground tor· the purpose of his preventive detention. The records
   further show that the oral evidence of the watchman and the labourer
   engaged in the house construction proved that it was the levy cement
   issued to the detenu which was being diverted at his instance. Before
   closing this chapter it may be re-stated that the sufficiency of the
 C materials available to the detaining authority is not to be examined by
   the Court.

           9. So far as the second representation filed by Madhava Rao's
    cousin Lakshmana Rao is concerned, it has, in fact, been disposed of
 D by the Central Government but about 3 months later after its filing. It
    was argued that Section 14 of the Act clothe~ the authority with the
    power of revoking the detention order, and such a power carries with it
    the duty to exercise it whenever and as soon as changed or new factors
    call for the exercise of that power. Reliance was placed on the observa-
    tions of this Court at page 786 in Haradhan Saha and another v. The
 E State of West Banga/ and others, [ 1975] 1 SCR 778 and those in
   paragraph 9 of the Judgment in Sat Pal v. The State of Punjab, 1982 1
   sec 12. It is true that such a power coupled with the duty exists but
    the duty to exercise it arises only where new and relevant facts and
   circumstances come to light. This was not so here, and as observed in
   para 13 of the Judgment in State of Uttar Pradesh v. Zavad Zama
F Khan, [ 1984] 3 SCC 505, there is no right in favour of the detenu to get
   his successive representations based on the same grounds rejected
   earlier to be formally disposed of again. In any event no period of
   limitation is fixed for disposal of an application under Section 14 and
   as we have seen earlier the second representation filed by Laksha-
   mana Rao indeed, was considered and rejected.
G
           10. On behalf of the petitioner it was next contended that the
   fact that both Krishna Murthy and Smt. Mahati Singh had retracted
   their alleged statements before the police implicating Madhava Rao
   and the order in the criminal case granting bail to the detenu condi-
   tionally, were not placed before the detaining authority which has
H vitiated the detention order. It is claimed that as a matter of fact the
                    SMT. ARUNA v. GOVT. OF A.P. [SHARMA, J.I              983

       aforesaid two persons never made any statement before the police or A
       anybody else connecting Madhava Rao with the construction of Srnt.
       Mahati Singh's house and it is incorrect to say that they were ever
       questioned by the police as alleged. Reference was made to the order
       passed in the criminal case on the anticipatory bail application of the
       detenu in which there is no such statement. The learned counsel ar-
       gued that the absence of such a reference in the order leads to the B
       conclusion that the police never examined them.

              11. The High Court has rightly repelled a similar argument,
 =     pointing out that in the application for anticipatory bail of Smt. Mahati
       Singh it was categorically stated that the vigilance police had gone to
       the residence of her father and thoroughly interrogated her and her
       father. Krishna Murthy also made a similar statement in his applica- C
       tion for anticipatory bail. It will, therefore be idle to suggest otherwise
       merely for the reason that the criminal court did not choose in its order
       to mention these facts. Besides, it has long been established that the
       subjective satisfaction of the detaining authority as regards the factual
       existence of the condition on which the order of detention can be D
       made, namely, the grounds of detention constitute the foundation for
       the exercise of the power of detention and the Court cannot be invited
       to consider the propriety or sufficiency of the grounds on which the
       satisfaction of the detaining authority is based. Nor can the Court, on a
       review of the grounds, substitute its own opinion for that of the
       authority. In the instant case the ground of detention is only one, viz. E
       the detenu was acting prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies of

 --    commodity, that is, levy cement, essential to the community by divert-
       ing it to the open market. The grounds of detention served along with
       the order are nothing but a narration of facts. The question whether
       the detenu was acting in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of
       supplies essential to the life of the community is a matter of inference F
       to be drawn from facts. The learned Advocate General was fair
       enough to accept before us that the applications for grant of anticipa-
       tory bail moved before the criminal Court were not placed before the
       detaining authority. Even so, it could not be said that there was no
       material upon which the subjective satisfaction of the detaining autho-
       rity could be based. It appears from the grounds, i.e., the facts set out G
       that the detenu had made a statement admitting that he had diverted
       600 bags of levy _cement issued to him for use in the masonry ballast
it-1
.,
~
       wall along the railway track and therefore the District Magistrate was
       justified in coming to the conclusion that he (the detenu) was acting in
       a man?er prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies of the commodity
       essential to the community. The three decisions in Asha Devi v. K. H
    984                   SUPREME COURT REPORTS            [ 1988) I S.C.R.

A Shiveraj, Addi. Chief Secretary to the Government of Gujarat and
  another, [1979] 2 SCR 215; Mohd. Shakeel Wahid Ahmed v. State of
  Maharashtra and others, [1983) 2 SCR 614 and Kurjibhai Dhanjibhai
  Patel v. State of Gujarat, [1985) 1 Scale 964 were cases where there was
  failure on the part of the sponsoring authority in not furnishing the
B relevant material to the detaining authority which was a vitiating
  factor. This Court had occasion to deal with them in Pushpadevi M.
  Jatia v. M.L. Wadhawan, Additional Secretary, Government of India
  and others, [ 1987] 3 SCC 367 in para 12 of its judgment. These deci-
  sions proceed on the well settled principle that if 'material and vital
  facts' which would influence the mind of the detaining authority one
  way or the other on the question whether or not to make the detention
C order, are not placed, it would vitiate the subjective satisfaction
  rendering the detention order illegal. That is not so in the present case.
  There was ample material before the District Magistrate for him to
  base his subjective satisfaction as to the necessity for passing impugned
  order as stated by him in his affidavit.
D
          12. We do not find any merit in the case for quashing the
    impugned detention order and accordingly both the writ petition and
    the special leave application are dismissed.

    N.V.K.                                              Petition dismissed.




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