Holding

A conviction is not required; the police’s reasonable belief, founded on the totality of facts, is sufficient to deem a person a "dangerous person" who habitually commits offences under the Act.

Summary

The State of Maharashtra detained Mehamud under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers and Drug Offenders Act, 1981, labeling him a "dangerous person" on the basis that he was involved in fourteen criminal cases and several pending offences under IPC Chapters XVI, XVII and the Arms Act. The Bombay High Court set aside the detention, holding that the term "habitually" required a prior conviction. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined the meaning of "habitually commits or attempts to commit" in Section 2(b)(1) of the Act and held that a conviction is not a prerequisite; the police’s reasonable belief, based on the totality of facts, suffices to deem a person a dangerous person for preventive detention. Consequently, the Court allowed the appeal in part, reinstating the detention order but noting that, due to the passage of time, the detenu need not serve the remaining period. The decision clarifies the scope of preventive detention under the Act and the evidentiary standard for "habitual" criminality.

Issues considered

The proper interpretation of the phrase "habitually commits or attempts to commit" in Section 2(b)(1) of the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers and Drug Offenders Act, 1981.
Whether a prior conviction is necessary to establish that a person is a "dangerous person" for the purpose of preventive detention under the Act.
Whether the police’s reasonable belief, based on the totality of facts, is sufficient to satisfy the statutory requirement of habitual criminality.

Legislation cited

Arms Act, 1959s. Chapter V
Indian Penal Code, 1860s. Chapter XVI, s. Chapter XVII
Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers and Drug Offenders Act, 1981s. 2(b)(1), s. 3
Police Act, 1861

Subjects

preventive detentionhabitual offenderdangerous personreasonable beliefstatutory interpretationconviction requirementcriminal law

Judgment

x. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA & ORS. A
v.
MEHAMUD

JUNE 19, 2007

[DR. ARIJIT PASAY AT AND P.P. NAOLEKAR, JJ.] B

Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords,
Bootleggers and Drug Offenders Act, I 98 I:

ss. 2(/-b) and 3- 'Dangerous person '-Order of detention-Expression c
"habitually commits or attempts to commit"-Connotation of-Held: Detenu
being involved in fourteen cases and several cases being pending which
related to offences punishable under Chapters XVI and XVJI of 1.P.C and
Chapter V of Arms Act, and considering the nature ofjurisdiction which the
detaining authority exercises, the conclusion of High Court that there must D
be a conviction in order to say that detenu habitually commits offences is
clearly unsustainable-Jn this regard the reasonable belief of police officials
is sufficient-Preventive Detention.

Words and Phrases: Expressions "habitually" and "habitually commits
or attempts to commit" occurring in s.2(1-b) of Mahrashtra Prevention of E
Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers and Drug Offenders Act,
1981-Connotation of

An order of detention was passed against the respondent u/s. 3 of the
Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers
:J and Drug Offenders Act, 1981 treating him as a 'dangerous person'. The F

- High Court set aside the said order holding that the expression "habitually
commits" conveys a situation where a person is conclusively known to have
surely committed the crime for which he was convicted in the past by a Court
of competent jurisdiction as on that basis alone it could be said that he was
repeatedly indulging in such acts and mere pendency of cases would not be
G
sufficient to treat a pe.rson as dangerous pt:rson.

It was submitted on behalf of the appellant State that through the
detenue had suffered about 10 months' detention out of the total detention for
' one year, yet since the order of the High court was clearly unsustainable, the
1043 H
1044 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2007) 7 S.C.R.

A appeal was being pressed. .x

Allowing the appeal in part, the Court

HELD: I.I. At the outset it is to be noted that the order under
Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers
B and Drug Offenders Act, 1981 is preventive in nature and character. The
expression "habitually" is very significant. A person is said to be a habitual
criminal who by force of habit or inward disposition is accustomed to commit
crimes. It implies commission of such crimes repeatedly or persistently and
primafacie there should be continuity in the commission of those offences.
In this regard the reasonable belief of the police officials is sufficient.
c !Para 5, 8 and 11)11046-F; 1049-G-H; 1049-AI

Mustakmiya Jabbarmiya Shaikh v. M M Mehta, Commissioner of Police
and Ors., 1199513 SCC 237; Dhanji Ram Sharma v. Superintendent of Police,
AIR (1966) SC 1766 and Ayub alias Pappukhan Nawabkhan Pathan v. S. N
Sinha, (1990) 4 SCC 552, relied on.
D
1.2. The word 'habitually' does not refer to the frequency of the occasions ....'
but to the invariability of a practice and the habit has to be proved by totally of
facts. It, therefore, follows that the complicity of a person in an isolated offence
is neither evidence nor a material of any help to conclude that a particular
E person is a "dangerous person" unless there is material suggesting his
complicity in such cases, which lead to a reasonable conclusion that the person
is a habitual criminal. The word 'habitually' means 'usually' and 'generally'.
It does not refer to the frequency of the occasions but to the invariability of
practice and the habit has to be proved by totality of facts.
!Para 10) 11049-E-G)
F l
Vijay Amba Das Diware and Ors. v. Balkrishna Woman Dande and Anrr.,
12000) 4 SCC 126; Mustakmiya Jabbarmiya Shaikh v. M. M. Mehta, .....
Commissioner of Police, (19951 3 SCC 237, relied on.

Advanced Law Lexicon (3rd Edn.) by P. Ramanatha Aiyer; Aiyer's
G Judicial Dictionary, 10th Edition, p 485, referred to.
1.3. In the instant case, as the order of detention shows the detenu was
involved in fourteen cases and several cases were pending which related to \
offences punishable under Chapter XVI and XVII of the IPC and Chapter V
of the Arms Act, 1959. Considering the nature of the jurisdiction which the
H
STATE OF MAHARASHTRA v. MEHAMUD(PASAYAT.J.J 1045

detaining authority exercise. the conclusion of the High Court that there must A
be a conviction before it can be said that the detenu habitually commits offences
clearly unsustainable. !Para 12111050-BI

1.4. Since it has been fairly stated on behalf of the State that because of
passage of time there may not be any necessity for sending back detenu for
detention to serve the unexpired period in the present case, the detenu need B
not surrender to serve the remaining period of sentence. (Para 13) [1050-C)

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Criminal Appeal No. 133 of
2001.

From the Final Order and Judgment and dated 23.06.2000 of High Court C
of Judicature at Bombay, Nagpur Bench, Nagpur in Cr!. Writ Petition No. 350
ofl999.

Ravindra Keshavrao Adsure for the Appellants .

.The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
D
DR. ARIJIT PASAYA T, J. I. Challenge in this appeal is to the judgment
rendered by a Division Bench of the Bombay High Court, Nagpur Bench
quashing the order of detention passed by the District Magistrate, Nagpur
Bench. By the order dated 12th August, 1999 the District Magistrate had
directed detention of the respondent (hereinafter referred to as the 'Detenu') E
under Section 3 of the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of
Slumlords, Bootleggers and Drug Offenders Act , 1981 (in short the 'Act').
By the said order the District Magistrate had ordered that the detenu was to
be treated as a "dangerous person" and therefore there was need to detain
him. The order of detention was served on the detenu on 14th August, 1999
and the period of detention was to last for one year. The order of detention F
was challenged before the High Court primarily on two grounds; firstly there
J should have been a contemporaneous or simultaneous service of the grounds
on the detenu as the said grounds alone contained intimation to him that
rej)resentation could be made by him to the State Government; secondly,
there was no material to show that detenu was habitually committing or
attempting to commit crimes mer.tioned in Chapters XVI and XVII of the G
Indian Penal Code, 1860 (in short the 'IPC'). The High Court did not find any
substance in the first plea but accepted the second plea on the ground that
use of the expression "habitually commits or attempts to commit" must be
-1 established by facts. According to the High Court, expression "habitually
commits" conveys a situation where a person is conclusively known to have H
1046 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2007) 7 S.C.R.

A surely committed the crime for which he was convicted in the past by a Court
of competent jurisdiction and on that background alone it can be said that
he was repeatedly indulging in such· acts. Mere pendency of cases would
not be sufficient to treat a person as dangerous person. It was held that since
there was curtailment of liberty, same has to be based on a foundation of
B complaint before the Court, a charge against him, a full-fledged trial and then
recording of the judgment of conviction which alone may enable such person
being described to have committed a crime. With the aforesaid observations
and conclusions the High Court set aside the order of detention.

2. Learned counsel for the appellant submitted that though the detenue
C had suffered about I 0 months' of detention before the High Court's judgment
yet the conclusion of the High Court and the views expressed are clearly
unsustainable in law and therefore, the appeal is being pressed.

3. There is no appearance on behalf of the respondent.

D. 4. The crucial question is the true import of the expression "habitually
cqmmits or attempts to commit". Section 2(b-l) defines "dangerous person"
as follows:

"Section 2(b-l) "dangerous person" means a person, who either by
himself or as a member or leader of a gang, habitually commits, or
E attempts to commit or abets the commission of any of the offences
punishable under Chapter XVI or Chapter XVII of the Indian Penal
Code or any of the offences punishable under Chapter V of the Arms
Act. 1959."

5. At the outset it is to be noted that the order is preventive in nature
F and character.

6. This Court had occasion to consider similar questions in several
cases. In Mustakmiya Jabbarmiya Shaikh v. MM. Mehta, Commissioner of
Police and Ors., [1995] 3 SCC 237 it was inter alia observed in paras 7 &
8 as follows:
G
"7. A reading of the preamble of the Act will make it clear that the
object of provisions contained in the Act including those reproduced
above is to prevent the crime and to protect the society from anti-
social elements and dangerous characters against perpetration of crime
by placing them under detention for such a duration as would disable
H
-""T

STATE OF MAHARASHTRA v. MEHAMUD(PASAYAT.J.) 1047

them from resorting to undesirable criminal activities. The provisions A
of the Act are intended to deal with habitual criminals, dangerous and
desperate outlaws who are so hardened and incorrigible that the
ordinary provisions of the penal laws and the mortal fear of punishment
for crime are not sufficient deterrents for them. Section 3 of the Act
is, therefore, intended to deal with such criminals who cannot readily
be apprehended to be booked under the ordinary law and who for
B
special reasons, cannot be convicted under the penal laws in respect
of the offences alleged to have been perpetrated by them. But this
- ... power under the Act to detain a person should be exercised with
restraint and great caution. In order to pass an order of detention
under the Act against any person the detaining authority must be c
satisfied that he is a "dangerous person" within the meaning of
Section 2 of the Act who habitually commits, or attempts to commit
or abets the commission of any of the offences punishable under
Chapter XVI or Chapter XVII of the Penal Code or any of the offences
punishable under Chapter V of the Arms Act as according to sub-
section (4) of Section 3 of the Act it is such "dangerous person" who D
for the purpose of Section 3 shall be deemed to be a person "acting
j
in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order" against
whom an order of detention may lawfully be made.

8. The Act has defined "dangerous person" in clause (c) of Section
2 to mean a person who either by himself or as a member or leader E
of a gang habitually commits or attempts to commit or abets the
commission of any of the offences punishable under Chapter XVI or
-- Chapter XVII of the Penal Code or any of the offences punishable
under Chapter V of the Arms Act. The expression 'habit' or 'habitual'
has however, not been defined under the Act. According to The Law F
-l Lexicon by P. Ramanatha Aiyar, Reprint Edn. (1987), p. 499, 'habitually'
means constant, customary and addicted to specified habit and the
term habitual criminal may be applied to anyone who has been
previously convicted of a crime to the sentences and committed to
prison more than twice. The word 'habitually' means 'usually' and
'generally'. Almost similar meaning is assigned to the words 'habit' G
in Aiyar's Judicial Dictionary, 10th Edn., p. 485. It does not refer to
the frequency of the occasions but to the invariability of practice and
"' ---, the habit has to be proved by totality of facts. It, therefore, follows
that the complicity of a person in an isolated offence is neither
evidence nor a material of any help to conclude that a particular H
I

1048 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2007] 7 S.C.R.

\.'I
A person is a "dangerous person .. unless there is material suggesting
his complicity in such cases which lead to a reasonable conclusion ><
that the person is a habitual criminal. In Gopalanachari v. State of
Kera/a, AIR (1981) SC 674 this Court had an occasion to deal with
expressions like "bad habit", 'habitual', 'desperate', 'dangerous"
'hazardous'. This Court observed that the word habit implies usual
B practice. Again in Vijay Narain Singh v. State of Bihar, [1984] 3 SCC
14 this Court construed the expression 'habitually' to mean repeatedly
or persistently and observed that it implies a thread of continuity
.
I.

stringing together similar repetitive acts but not isolated, individual
and dissimilar acts and that repeated, persistent and similar acts are
c necessary to justify an inference of habit. It, therefore, necessarily
follows that in order to bring a person within the expression "dangerous
person" as defined in clause (c) of Section the Act, there should be
positive material to indicate that such person is habitually committing
or attempting to commit or abetting the commission of offences which
are punishable under Chapter XVI or Chapter XVII ofl or under
D Chapter V of the Arms Act and that a single or isolated act f' under
Chapter XVI or Chapter XVII of IPC or Chapter V of is cannot be
characterised as a habitual act referred to in Section 2(c) of the Act."

7. In Dhanji Ram Sharma v. Superintendent of Police, AIR (1966) SC
1766 in the background of the Police Act 1861 it was observed as follows:
E
"6. Under Section 23 of the Police Act, 1861, the police is under a duty
to prevent commission of offences and to collect intelligence affecting
the public peace. For the efficient discharge of their duties, the police
officers are empowered by the Punjab Police Rules 1934 to open the
history sheets of suspects and to enter their names in police register
F
No. 10. These powers must be exercised with caution and in strict
conformity with the rules. The condition precedent to the opening of
history sheet under Rules 23.9 (2) is that the suspect is a person
"reasonably believed to be habitually addicted to crime or to be an
aider or abettor of such person". Similarly, the condition precedent
G to the entry of the names of the suspects in Part II of police register
No. IO under Rule 23.4 (3)(b) is that they are "persons who are
reasonably believed to be habitual offenders or receivers of stolen
property whether they have been convicted or not". If the action of
the police officers is challenged, they must justify their action and
must show that the condition precedent has been satisfied."
H
STATE OF MAHARASHTRA v. MEHAMUD IPASAYAT. J.) 1049

8. As the quoted portion goes to show, this Court observed that A
reasonable belief of the police officials is sufficient.

9. Habitual: The meaning of the words "habit" and "habitually'" as given
in the Advanced Law Lexicon (3rd Edn.) by P. Ramanatha Aiyer is: "Habit
settled tendency or practice, mental'constitution. The word 'habit' implies a
tendency or capacity resulting from the frequent repetition of the same acts. B
The words by 'habit' and 'habitually' imply frequent practice or use. "Habitual
Constant; customary; addicted to a specified habit". The Court in Vijay
Narain Singh v. State of Bihar, [1984] SCC (Crl.) 361), considered the question
of a habitual criminal and in para 31 the expression "habitually" was explained
as follows: "The expression 'habitually' means 'repeatedly' or 'persistently'. C
It implies a thread of continuity stringing together similar repetitive acts -
repeated, persistent and similar, but no isolated, individual and dissimilar acts
are necessary to justify an inference of habit". The expression "habituar'
would mean repeatedly or persistently and implies a thread of continuity
stringing together similar repeated acts. An isolated default of rent would not
mean that the tenant was a habitual defaulter. (See: Vijay Amba Das Diware D
and Ors v. Balkrishna Waman Dande and Anr., (2000] 4 SCC 126).

10. In Mustakmiya Jabbarmiya Shaikh v. MM Mehta, Commissioner
of Police, (1995] 3 SCC 237, it was held that the expression "habit" or
"habitual" has not been defined under the Gujarat Prevention of Anti Social
Activities Act, 1985. The word 'habitually' does not refer to the frequency E
of the occasions but to the invariability of a practice and the habit has to be
proved by totality of facts. It, therefore, follows that the complicity of a
person in an isolated offence is neither evidence nor a material of any help
to conclude that a particular person is a "dangerous person" unless there is
material suggesting his complicity in such cases, which lead to a reasonable p
conclusion that the person is a habitual criminal. The word 'habitually' means
'usually' and 'generally'. Almost similar meaning is assigned to the words
'habit' in Aiyer's Judicial Dictionary, 10th Edition, at p.485. It does not refer
to the frequency of the occasions but to the invariability of practice and the
habit has to be proved by totality of facts.
G
11. The expression "habitually" is very significant. A person is said to
be a habitual criminal.who by force of habit or inward disposition 1s accustomed
'" to commit crimes. It implies commission of such crimes repeatedly or
-.
persistently and prima facie there should be continuity in the commission of
those offences. (See: Ayub alias Pappukhan Nawabkhan Pathan v. S.N. H
1050 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2007] 7 S.C.R.

A Sinha. [ 1990) 4 sec 552.

12. As the order of detention shows the detenu was involved in
fourteen cases and several cases were pending which related to offences
punishable under Chapter XVI and XVII of the IPC and Chapter V of the Anns
Act, 1959 (in short the 'Anns Act'). Considering the nature of the jurisdiction
B which the detaining authority exercises, the conclusion of the High Court that
there must be a conviction before it can be said that the detenu habitually
commits offences is clearly unsustainable.

13. The appeal is bound to succeed. Since learned counsel for the State
has fairly stated that because of passage of time there may not be any
C necessity for sending back detenu for detention to serve the unexpired period
in the present case, the detenu did not surrender to serve the remaining
period of sentence.

14. The appeal is allowed to the aforesaid extent.

D RP. Appeal Partly allowed.

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