C. ELUMALAIversusSTATE OE TAMIL NADU

                                                                               1057

                                                                                       A


                                    C. ELUMALAI

                                           v.
                                                                                       B
                            STATE OE TAMIL NADU

                                    October 26, 1984

                (E.S. VENKATARAMIAH AND R.B. MISRA, JJ.]

            The Tami, Nadu Borstal Schools Act 1925 Section JO-A-Adolescent            c
     offender-Convicted of capital offence-Sentenced to life imprisonment-Detention
     in Borstal School after attaining 23 years of age-Whether valid.

             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          D
//   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. [!058E-F]

           State of Andhra Pradesh v. Val/abhapuram R~vi [1984] 2 SCALE 386,
     followed.                                                                         E

           In re. Ganapati, 1983 Criminal Law Journal 509, over~ruled.

      ORIGINAL JURISOICTION : Writ Petition (Criminal) No.981 of 1984.

           (Under article 32 of the Constitution)
                                                                                       F
           Na~in Malhotra and Harjinder Singh for the Petitioners.

         K. Parasaran, Attorney General and A. V. Rangam for the
     Respondent.
                                                                                       G
           The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

           VENKATARAMIAH, J. We have heard Shri Navin Malhotra,
     amlcus curiae and the learned Attorney-General for the State of
     Tamil Nadu. In State of Andhra Pradesh v. Va//abhapuram Ravi(1>
          (I) [1984] 2 SCALE 38~.
                                                                                       H
          toss                     SUPRBMB COURT REPOllTS       (1985] 1 s.c.ll.
    A    (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
    B     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 r'l which had taken the view
          that after section 433A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973
c         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 com-
          pleted 14 years of detention bas also been overruled. In the circum-
D
          stances 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 IO-A of the Tamil Nadu Borstal
          Schools Act in a Borstal School or in any other kind of detention
E         after be bas 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 be is not in detention be shall
        not be taken back into custody. The writ petition is accordingly
F       allowed.




        N.V.K.                                               Petition allowed.




             (I) 1983 Criminal Law Journal 509.