DISHANT GOEL vs UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS — CRWP/9307/2025

Mr. Justice Vinod S. BhardwajView PDF

Case Summary: CRWP/9307/2025 - Dishant Goel v. Union of India Court: High Court of Punjab & Haryana, Chandigarh Date of Judgment: 13.05.2026 Judge: Hon'ble Mr. Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj Decision The court QUASHED the preventive detention order against petitioner Dishant Goel, finding it violated constitutional safeguards and fundamental rights. The detention order dated 02.05.2025 (modified 13.05.2025) under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 was set aside. Key Findings 1. Absence of "Live and Proximate Link": The ~5-month delay between proposal (08.01.2025) and detention order (02.05.2025), followed by further delay in execution (30.05.2025), violated the constitutional requirement that preventive detention must maintain immediacy and urgency. The court found this administrative lethargy vitiated the subjective satisfaction of the detaining authority. 2. Violation of Article 22(5) Rights: The failure to supply the detention proposal itself—which formed the foundational document initiating the detention process—deprived the petitioner of an effective opportunity to represent against detention. The proposal wasn't merely inter-departmental correspondence but contained material particulars critical to challenging the detention's necessity. 3. Punitive Rather Than Preventive: The detention assumed punitive character because: (a) the petitioner had already secured bail on 27.12.2024; (b) no allegation of bail violation or subsequent prejudicial activity was made; (c) ordinary criminal law remedies were never exhausted or meaningfully considered; and (d) preventive detention was invoked immediately after bail, suggesting intent to nullify judicial orders rather than prevent future crime. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.

Case filed

Registration No. CRWP/9307/2025