In Brief
The petitioner's husband was preventively detained under the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1986, based on allegations of cheating and criminal breach of trust involving about ₹50 lakhs. The State argued the detenu's bail grants in those cases showed he would continue fraudulent activities. The Supreme Court held that preventive detention cannot be justified merely because bail was granted in criminal cases. Acts of cheating affecting individuals, even if habitual, constitute 'law and order' disturbances, not 'public order' disturbances. Public order requires harm to the community at large. Since ordinary criminal law provides adequate remedies (bail cancellation, appeal), recourse to preventive detention was unwarranted. The Court quashed the detention order and freed the detenu, allowing the appeal.
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