[Cites 1, Cited by 0]

Chattisgarh High Court

Pritam Lal Ratre vs State Of Chhattisgarh on 9 April, 2026

                                                                   1




                                                                                      2026:CGHC:16247
                                                                                                   NAFR

                                          HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR

                                                       WPC No. 1474 of 2026
                        Pritam Lal Ratre S/o Late Shri Bisahu Ram Ratre, Aged About 66 Years R/o
                        Village Nandeli, Post Sonthi, Tahsil Sakti District- Sakti (C.G.)
                                                                                          ... Petitioner.
                                                              Versus


                      1. State Of Chhattisgarh Through Secretary, Department Of Revenue And
Digitally signed by      Disaster Management, Mantralaya, Mahanadi Bhawan , Atal Nagar, New
AJAY KUMAR
DWIVEDI
DN: cn=AJAY
KUMAR DWIVEDI,
                         Raipur, District- Raipur (C.G.)
ou=HIGH COURT,
o=HIGH COURT OF
CHHATTISGARH,
st=Chhattisgarh,
                      2. Secretary, Department Of General Administration, Mantralaya, Mahanadi
                         Bhawan , Atal Nagar, New Raipur, District- Raipur (C.G.)
c=IN
Date: 2026.04.09
17:59:04 +0530


                      3. Secretary, Department Of Home, Mantralaya, Mahanadi Bhawan , Atal Nagar,
                         New Raipur, District- Raipur (C.G.)
                      4. Commissioner, Division Bilaspur, District- Bilaspur (C.G.)
                      5. Collector, District- Sakti (C.G.)
                      6. Superintendent Of Police, District- Sakti (C.G.)
                                                                                             ... Respondents.

(cause title downloaded from CIS Periphery) For Petitioner : Mr. Jeet Ram Patel, Advocate.

For Res/State : Dr. Arham Siddiqui, Panel Lawyer.

(Hon'ble Shri Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi)

Order on Board 09/04/2026

1. This Writ Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India has been

filed for the followings reliefs:-

"10.1 That, this Honble Court may kindly be pleased to quash/ set-aside the order dated 13.08.2025 (Annexure P-1) as well as order dated 09.09.2025 (Annexure P-2) issued by the respondent

no. 5 i.e. Collector, District Sakti, (C.G.), whereby without reason or cogent ground rejected the application for renewal of license i.e. renewal of petitioner's identity card as well as registration certificate regarding Interstate Agriculture Cattle Trader. In the interest if justice.

10.2 That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to direct the respondent no. 5 to reconsider the petitioner's application for issuance of 3rd renewal of his license since 08.04.2025 to 07.04.2028 in accordance with law, in the interest of justice. 10.3 That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to grant any other relief/relief's in favor of the petitioner, which the Hon'ble Court deemed fit & just in the facts and circumstances of the case, including awarding of the costs to the petitioner."

2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is a registered

Interstate Agricultural Cattle trader. Initially, a licence was issued in favour of

the petitioner by the District Magistrate, Janjgir-Champa, in the year 2016

for a period of three years. Subsequently, it was renewed from 08.04.2019 to

07.04.2022 and from 08.04.2022 to 07.04.2025. When the licence expired

on 08.04.2025, the petitioner applied for a renewal for the period of

08.04.2025 to 07.04.2028. However, both his initial application and his

review application were rejected by the Additional Collector, Sakti, via

orders/communications dated 13.08.2025 and 09.09.2025 (Annexure-P/1)

without any valid reason. He further submits that such orders were passed

without providing the petitioner an opportunity of being heard, which has

adversely affected the petitioner's livelihood. Hence, it is prayed that the said

orders be set aside and appropriate order may be passed.

3. Learned State counsel submits that an appropriate order may be passed in

the matter.

4. Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the record.

5. By communication/order dated 13.08.2025 and 09.09.2025 (Annexure-P/1),

the application submitted by the petitioner for the renewal of his interstate

agricultural cattle trader licence for the period 08.04.2025 to 07.04.2028 as

well as the review application were rejected by the Additional Collector,

Sakti. The reason cited for rejection was that the Superintendent of Police

did not make a recommendation for renewal in respect of communication

dated 18.02.2025 Annexure-P/5, by which, the Additional Collector had

sought information as to whether any criminal case was registered against

the petitioner or not.

6. When a specific query was put to the learned State counsel as to whether any

report was submitted by the Superintendent of Police in respect of Annexure-

P/5, he submitted, upon instructions, a communication made by the

Superintendent of Police, Sakti, to the District Collector, Sakti, on

13.08.2025. The contents of the communication dated 13.08.2025 are

reproduced hereunder:

कार्यालय पुलिस अधीक्षक, जिला सक्ती (छ.ग.) क्रमांक- पुअ / सक्ती / जिविशा / श.ला. / 57 / 2025 दिनांक: 13/08/2025 प्रति, जिला दण्डाधिकारी जिला सक्ती।

विषय:- अंतर्राज्यीय कृषिक पशु व्यापारी पहचान एवं पंजीयन प्रमाण पत्र नवीनीकरण हेतु। संदर्भ:- आपका पत्र क्र./869 ए/कृ०पं०व्या०पंजी०/नवी०/लाय०शाखा/2025 सक्ती दिनांक 18.02.25 एवं पत्र कम./3200/कृ०पं०व्या०पंजी०/नवी०/लाय०शाखा/2025 सक्ती दिनांक 01.08.2025

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विषयांतर्गत संदर्भित पत्र के संबंध में लेख है कि आवेदक श्री प्रीतम लाल रात्रे पिता स्व. श्री बिसाहू राम रात्रे साकिन नंदेली, थाना सक्ती, जिला सक्ती द्वारा स्वीकृत पहचान एवं पंजीयन प्रमाण पत्र क्रमांक 61/2016 का नवीनीकरण दिनांक 08.04.2025 से 07.04.2028 तक करने के संबंध में थाना प्रभारी सक्ती से जांच कराई गई। थाना प्रभारी सक्ती से प्राप्त प्रतिवेदनानुसार वर्तमान परिदृश्य में पशु संबंधित अपराधों की वृद्धि को देखते हुये पहचान अंतर्राज्यीय कृषिक पशु व्यापारी पहचान एवं पंजीयन प्रमाण पत्र को नवीनीकरण किये किया जाना उचित नहीं है।

अतः थाना प्रभारी सक्ती के अभिमतानुसार आवेदक को स्वीकृत अंतर्राज्यीय कृषिक पशु व्यापारी पहचान एवं पंजीयन प्रमाण पत्र को नवीनीकरण करने हेतु अनुशंसा नहीं की जाती है। कृपया प्रतिवेदन प्रेषित है।

(हस्ताक्षर) पुलिस अधीक्षक जिला सक्ती (छ.ग.)

7. A perusal of the aforementioned communication made by the

Superintendent of Police, Sakti, shows that although information was sought

only with regard to the criminal record of the petitioner, if any, however

instead thereof, the Superintendent merely mentioned that, in view of

growing offences related to cattle, it would not be appropriate to renew the

petitioner's licence. Such a contention cannot be considered as a proper

ground for rejection of an application for the renewal of a licence submitted

by the petitioner. The petitioner earns his livelihood through the cattle trade,

despite this, the Additional Collector, without application of mind and

without any cogent reason or specific allegation against the petitioner,

rejected the petitioner's application, which cannot be appreciated. Hence, the