GS-2News & Analysis30 May 2026thehindu.com

Madras High Court censures former Chennai Police Commissioner Arun for invoking Goondas Act

The Madras High Court censured former Chennai Police Commissioner A. Arun for deliberately misusing the Goondas Act to detain a realtor, Santosh Sharma, for "extraneous reasons" despite no threat to public order. The court noted Arun's habit of passing such preventive detention orders, which were often quashed, and emphasized the need for integrity in public office, especially for the Director of Vigilance and Anti Corruption. The court set aside the detention order, highlighting the lack of a live and proximate link between the detenu's past conduct and the need for detention.

The Madras High Court censured former Chennai Police Commissioner A. Arun for deliberately misusing the Goondas Act to detain a realtor, Santosh Sharma, for "extraneous reasons" despite no threat to public order. The court noted Arun's habit of passing such preventive detention orders, which were often quashed, and emphasized the need for integrity in public office, especially for the Director of Vigilance and Anti Corruption. The court set aside the detention order, highlighting the lack of a live and proximate link between the detenu's past conduct and the need for detention.

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