AYYAPPANKUTTY Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is prisoner No. 4952 undergoing imprisonment in the Central Prison, Cannanore. He requests that the police and other State authorities may be restrained from publishing bis photographs in public places. According to him, this action is illegal and violative of his fundamental rights. In view of his expectation of immediate release from jail, he feels that the publication of his photographs will adversely affect his future life.

(2.) On behalf of the State, I had the advantage of hearing able arguments on questions of fact and law from the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Law Society of India represented by Advocates M/s. K. A. Abdul Salam, M. P. Krishnan Nair and C. A. Sebastian entered appearance and Mr. Abdul Salam ably assisted me by presenting the legal and factual aspects which involve public importance.

(3.) The petitioner is convicted in three cases, namely, C.C. 110/84 on the file of the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Hosdurg, SC. 23/84 on the file of the Asst. Sessions Judge, Manjeri and C.C. 264/84 before the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Talipramaba. In the first case, he was convicted for offences punishable under S.457, 461 and 380 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for three years, while in the second, he was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for eight years, for the offence under S.395 of the Indian Penal Code, and in the third, he was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year each for the offences under S.380, 457 and 461 of the Indian Penal Code. He is said to be involved in other cases also Crime No. 134/83 of the K.R. Nagar Police Station, Karnataka has been registered against him under S.395 of the Indian Penal Code in respect of a motor vehicle MYH 8968. He is said to be involved in three other major burglary cases. Crime No. 119/83 of the Sreekantapuram Police Station and two other cases.