Summary: A young man named Parvathi Kannan was detained as a "Goonda" in Tamil Nadu, but his detention was overturned by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court due to delays in following the necessary steps.
On January 20, 2025, Parvathi Kannan, a 21-year-old from Tirunelveli, was detained under the Tamil Nadu Goondas Act. The Commissioner of Police in Tirunelveli City issued the order. The act defines a "Goonda" as someone involved in activities harmful to public peace.
The case was heard by Judges G.K. Ilanthiraiyan and R. Poornima on December 9, 2025. The detention order was challenged by Kannan’s mother, K. Selvi, who filed a petition to release her son.
"The petitioner is the mother of the detained person, Parvathi Kannan, son of Kallathiyan, aged about 21 years."
A key issue was the delay in sending the detention order for government approval. The order was issued on January 20, 2025, but only sent for approval on January 23, 2025. According to the rules, such orders must be sent "immediately" to the government.
"The authority in charge took three days to send the order to the Government for approval."
Due to this mistake in following the rules, the court canceled the detention order. The judges directed that Kannan be released unless he was needed for any other case.
"The order of detention cannot be supported and must be canceled."
Despite the release, the court noted serious allegations against Kannan, including involvement in a retaliatory murder. If Kannan applies for bail in this case, the trial court must consider it based on its own facts, without being influenced by this decision.
"It is also made clear that the petitioner had murdered the person, who was going to Court to cancel the NBW."
The court decided to release Parvathi Kannan because of a delay in following the proper steps for his detention, but noted that serious charges against him still need to be addressed in court.
