Xxxx vs In Re - The State Of Nagaland And 7 Ors
2025 Latest Caselaw 1448 Gua

Gauhati High Court

Xxxx vs In Re - The State Of Nagaland And 7 Ors on 24 July, 2025

Author: K.R. Surana

Bench: Kalyan Rai Surana, Manish Choudhury

                                                                Page No.# 1/4

GAHC010003382020




                                                         undefined

                     THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT
  (HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH)

                       Case No. : PIL(Suo Moto)/1/2020

         XXXX
         GUWAHATI, ASSAM



         VERSUS

         IN RE - THE STATE OF NAGALAND AND 7 ORS
         REPRESENTED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF
         NAGALAND AND MEMBER SECRETARY OF MINISTERIAL GROUP,
         NAGALAND PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS BOARD, GOVERNMENT OF
         NAGALAND, KOHIMA

         2:THE HONOURABLE CHIEF MINISTER
         AND CHAIRMAN
          MINISTERIAL GROUP
          NAGALAND PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS BOARD
          GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND
          KOHIMA

         3:THE CHAIRMAN
          NAGALAND PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS BOARD
          GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND
          KOHIMA

         4:THE MEMBER SECRETARY
          OF NAGALAND PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS BOARD
          GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND
          KOHIMA

         5:THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVT. OF NAGALAND
          DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINING
          GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND
          KOHIMA
                                                                              Page No.# 2/4


            6:THE DIRECTOR
             DIRECTORATE OF GEOLOGY AND MINING
             GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND
             DIMAPUR

            7:THE METROPOLITAN OIL AND GAS PVT. LTD.
             1A
             MALL ROAD
             SHANTI KUNJ
            VASANT KUNJ
             NEW DELHI - 110070

            8:UNION OF INDIA
             REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVT. OF INDIA
             MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS

Advocate for the Petitioner   : MR. C T. JAMIR, MR. W JAMIR,MR. A PONGENER

Advocate for the Respondent : MR. T B JAMIR, MS B DAS (R7),MR S DUTTA (R7),MR A
DASGUPTA (R7),MR. K KALITA,S N SARMA,MS. V SUOKHRIE,MR. S DUTTA,MR. K A
RONGMEI,MR P SURIEN,MR. C SHARMA,MS. A WALLING




             Linked Case : I.A.(Civil)/1538/2025

            XXX
            GUWAHATI ASSAM


             VERSUS

            IN RE THE STATE OF NAGALAND AND ORS
            REPRESENTED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE GOVT OF NAGALAND
            AND MEMBER SECRETARY OF MINISTERIAL GROUP NAGALAND
            PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS BOARD GOVT OF NAGALAND KOHIMA

            2:THE HONORABLE CHIEF MINISTER AND CHAIRMAN MINISTERIAL
            GROUP
            NAGALAND PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS BOARD GOVT OF
            NAGALAND KOHIMA

            3:THE CHAIRMAN
            NAGALAND PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS BOARD KOHIMA
                                                                     Page No.# 3/4

            4:THE MEMBER SECRETARY
            NAGALAND PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS BOARD KOHIMA

            5:THE SECRETARY
            GOVT OF NAGALAND DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINING GOVT OF
            NAGALAND KOHIMA

            6:THE DIRECTOR
            DIRECTORATE OF GEOLOGY AND MINING GOVT OF NAGALAND DIMAPUR

             7:THE METROPOLITAN OIL AND GAS PVT LTD
            IA MAIL ROAD SHANTI KUNJ NEW DELHI

            8:UNION OF INDIA
            REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF
            PETROLEUM ADN NATURAL GAS
            ------------
            Advocate for : MR SISHIR DUTTA
            Advocate for : GA
            NAGALAND appearing for IN RE THE STATE OF NAGALAND AND ORS



                                    BEFORE
                   HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE KALYAN RAI SURANA
                   HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE MANISH CHOUDHURY

                                    ORDER

24.07.2025 (K.R. Surana, J)

Mr. C. T. Jamir, learned Amicus Curiae, assisted by Mr. Aliba Ozukum, learned counsel is present.

Mr. A. Dasgupta, learned counsel along with Mr. S. Dutta, learned Senior Counsel, assisted by Mr. S. Dutta, learned counsel for the respondent no.7 are present.

Mr. Vivek Kohli, learned Senior Counsel has appeared through video conferencing. He is assisted by Ms. Neetika Bajaj, Mr. Siddharth Barua, Mr. Kan Page No.# 4/4

Kalita and Mr. Praful Jindal, learned counsel for respondent no.8.

Mr. K. N. Balgopal, learned Advocate General for the State of Nagaland, assisted by Ms. M. Kechii and Ms. T. Khro, learned Addl. Advocate General, Nagaland as well as Ms. Nitya Nambiar, Mr. Vilao Kense, and Mr. Vitso Rio, Mr. Yash Bhushan Aggarwal, learned Govt. Advocate is present through video conferencing.

Mr. Apok Pongener, learned Standing Counsel for Gauhati High Court, Kohima Permanent Bench is present through video conferencing.

In the interregnum, written submissions have been submitted by the learned Amicus Curiae as well as on behalf of respondent no.7 and respondent no.8 as well as by the learned Standing Counsel for the High Court.

Further, oral submissions have been made by Mr. S. Dutta, learned Senior Counsel for the respondent no.7, Mr. K. N. Balgopal, learned Advocate General for the State of Nagaland and reply submissions by Mr. C. T. Jamir learned Amicus Curiae in the matter.

Arguments are concluded.

Judgment is reserved.

As the matter has been heard for 16 days which is spread over a long period of time, in the event any clarificatory hearing is required, the same may be listed again.

Subject to that the matter is reserved for judgment.

                                              JUDGE                   JUDGE


Comparing Assistant