The Supreme Court has expunged the strong remarks recorded by the Madras High Court against IPS officer Arun, accepting his unconditional apology over the order detaining a construction firm owner under the Goondas Act. Arun was then the Chennai Police Commissioner.
The case arose from complaints by Poornajothi, wife of Rajya Sabha MP Sudheesh and sister-in-law of DMDK general secretary Premalatha, who owns land in Kolathur, Chennai. Private builder Santhosh Sharma had agreed to construct 234 apartments and allot 78 of them to her. She alleged that he sold 48 of these 78 flats using forged documents, defrauding her of Rs 42 crore. Another complainant, Ravi, said he had lost Rs 1.38 crore. A case was registered on August 29, 2025, and Santhosh Sharma and his wife Kalpana Sharma were arrested. Arun then ordered Santhosh Sharma’s detention under the Goondas Act.
Santosh Sharma’s daughter, Varsha Sharma, challenged the detention order in the Madras High Court, which recorded strong remarks against Arun. He appealed to the Supreme Court to have them removed. Appearing before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath, R. Mahadevan and Aparesh Kumar Singh, he filed an affidavit tendering an unconditional apology.
The bench observed that officials holding high office must recognise the importance and responsibility of their powers and follow legal provisions strictly. It said preventive detention powers such as the Goondas Act must be used with great caution, and that apologising after exercising power over a person’s liberty is no remedy.
However, accepting Arun’s apology and his undertaking to act carefully in future, the court removed only the High Court’s remarks against him. It made clear that the High Court’s judgment quashing the Goondas Act order against Santhosh Sharma remains unchanged and valid.
