D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal

The State cannot take your life or your personal freedom unless it follows a procedure that is fair, not merely written down. Courts have used this article to protect dignity, privacy, livelihood, and humane treatment — far beyond the original one-line text.

If you are arrested, you must be told why, allowed a lawyer, and produced before a magistrate. Preventive detention has a separate, harsher track with its own safeguards.