Hetchin Haokip vs The State Of Manipur

The Supreme Court held that the failure of the District Magistrate to report the detention to the State Government 'forthwith' as mandated by Section 3(4) of the National Security Act, 1980 constitutes a violation of the statutory requirement, rendering the detention order invalid. The Court emphasized that the term 'forthwith' implies immediate action, and any delay undermines the legality of the detention. Consequently, the Court quashed the detention order, reinforcing the necessity of adherence to procedural safeguards in preventive detention cases.