- (1.) This writ petition is filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by the petitioner in challenge of a detention order passed against him on 17-12-1999.
(2.) The detention order was preceded by the following facts : On 2-6-1999 one N. Prabhakaran and mohamed Ibrahim Abbas were caught on the allegation that they tried to smuggle foreign exchange to the tune of Rs. 72/- lacs out of India. When they were questioned by the authorities on the 3rd and 4th of June, 1999 respectively they revealed, inter alia, that petitioner was also involved in the same activities. On 7-11-1999 petitioner was arrested. A statement was recorded from him in which he confessed having associated with the aforesaid two persons as well as with another person called Sowkath Ali in the smuggling activities. But petitioner moved a bail application on 16-11-1999 in which he alleged that the statement had been extracted from him by resorting to coercive tactics and that statement is not voluntary. In fact he adopted such a stand in a representation forwarded by him on 11 -11 -1999 itself.
(3.) Sowkath Ali arrested in connection with the same smuggling activities and a statement was elicited from him on 27-11- 1999.;