Kerala High Court
Popular Group Investors Association ... vs State Of Kerala on 11 March, 2025
Author: Raja Vijayaraghavan
Bench: V Raja Vijayaraghavan
WP(C) No. 22110 of 2024 2025:KER:20624
1
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RAJA VIJAYARAGHAVAN V
&
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE VIJU ABRAHAM
TUESDAY, THE 11TH DAY OF MARCH 2025 / 20TH PHALGUNA, 1946
WP(C) NO. 22110 OF 2024
PETITIONERS:
1 POPULAR GROUP INVESTORS ASSOCIATION (PGIA)
REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY: BINDU T.N., D/O LATE
NARAYANAN, AGED 50 YEARS, 66/6580, SECOND FLOOR,
DD JUNCTION BUILDING, OPP ALAPATT ARCADE, MG ROAD,
ERNAKULAM, PIN - 682035
2 LEELAMMA ABRAHAM
AGED 73 YEARS
W/O OOMMEN K ABRAHAM, KANICHUKATTU (H), TC-3,1559,
PATTAM, PIN - 695004
3 ANAND V
AGED 19 YEARS
S/O VENUGOPAL B , MANIMANDIR, VELIYAM P O, KOLLAM,
KERALA, PIN - 691540
4 SWATHI G
AGED 28 YEARS
D/O BABU N J, SNEHANILAYAM,PADANILAM P O, NOORANADU,
ALAPPUZHA, PIN - 690504
5 LEELAMMA KUNJUMON
AGED 66 YEARS,
D/O EAPEN VARGHESE, VILAPURATHU JOBIN VILLA, NALKAVALA,
POOYAPPALLY, KOLLAM, PIN - 691537
6 BHADRAN K
AGED 65 YEARS
S/O KRISHNAN, KARTHIKA BHAVAN, POOYAPPALLY, KOLLAM,
WP(C) No. 22110 of 2024 2025:KER:20624
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PIN - 691537
7 MURALEEDHARAN PILLAI K
AGED 52 YEARS
S/O KRISHNAPILLAI, NEELAMBARI (H), SOORANAD NORTH,
ANAYADI P O, KOLLAM, PIN - 690561
8 BABU N J
AGED 52 YEARS
S/O NANU S, SNEHANILAYAM, PADANILAM P O, NOORANADU,
ALAPPUZHA, PIN - 690504
9 JOSE PRAKASH
AGED 61 YEARS
S/O PETER ANTONY, PRAKASH BHAVAN, POOYAPPALLY, KOLLAM,
PIN - 691537
10 PRABHAKARAN PILLAI
AGED 70 YEARS
S/O GOPALAKRISHNA PILLAI, SREEKRISHNA MANDIRAM,
CHADAYAMANGALAM, KOLLAM, KERALA, PIN - 691534
11 HUGO JOHN GOZMAO
AGED 84 YEARS
S/O FREDDY GOZMAO,HUMA DALE,VIDYA NAGAR 44,
PATTATHANAM S O, PATTATHANAM P O,PATTATHANAM,
KOLLAM, KERALA, PIN - 691021
12 MARY GOZMAO
AGED 77 YEARS
W/O HUGO JOHN GOZMAO, HUMA DALE,VIDYA NAGAR
44,PATTATHANAM S O, PATTATHANAM P O, PATTATHANAM,
KOLLAM,KERALA, PIN - 691021
13 BRIAN HUGO,
AGED 48 YEARS
S/O HUGO JOHN GOZMAO, HUMA DALE,VIDYA NAGAR
44,PATTATHANAM S O, PATTATHANAM P O, PATTATHANAM,
KOLLAM, PIN - 691021
14 ANITA JOSEPH
AGED 52 YEARS
WP(C) No. 22110 of 2024 2025:KER:20624
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D/O HUGO JOHN GOZMAO, KUTTIKKAT, MARK MANDOR, VIDYA
NAGAR, PATTATHANAM, P O, KOLLAM, PIN - 691021
15 JOSEPH XAVIER
AGED 60 YEARS
S/O XAVIER, MARK MANOR, VIJAYA NAGAR, PATTATHANAM P O,
KOLLAM, KERALA, PIN - 691021
16 JOLLY CHERIYAN
AGED 68 YEARS
W/O CHERIYAN, FLAT NO. C5, RUBICON MANSIONS, MEDICAL
COLLEGE P O, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, PIN - 695011
17 AMITH CHERIYAN
AGED 35 YEARS
S/O CHERIYAN, FLAT NO. C5, RUBICON MANSIONS, MEDICAL
COLLEGE P O, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, PIN - 695011
18 RAJU G
AGED 57 YEARS
S/O GEEVARGHESE, MUNDAPPALIL VEEDU, NELLIKUNNAM P O,
UMMANNOOR, KOLLAM, PIN - 691520
19 HARIKUMAR R
AGED 42 YEARS
S/O RAMACHANDRAN KURUP, PUTHANPURAYIL(H),KOMALLOOR P O,
ALAPPUZHA, PIN - 690505
20 ASHA RAVINDRAN
AGED 36 YEARS
W/O HARIKUMAR R, ANUPAMA(H), KUTTEMPEROOR P O,
ALAPPUZHA, PIN - 689623
21 M S VARGHESE
AGED 59 YEARS
S/O M P SAMUEL, MUNJANNATTU VEEDU, VISHAVARSEERIKKARA,
MANNAR P O, KURATTISSERY, MANNAR, ALAPPUZHA,
PIN - 689622
22 ANISH CHERIYAN
AGED 42 YEARS
S/O CHERIYAN, FLAT NO. C5, RUBICON MANSIONS, MEDICAL
WP(C) No. 22110 of 2024 2025:KER:20624
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COLLEGE P O, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, PIN - 695011
23 JOHN NINAN
AGED 63 YEARS
S/O YOHANNAN, LIJO BHAVAN, MANTHOKA P O, KOLANADA,
MANTHUKA, KOLENCHERRY, PATHANAMTHITTA, PIN - 689503
24 JAYALAL M S
AGED 52 YEARS
S/O SOMARAJAN M, AMBILI SADANAM, VELIYAM P.O
KOTTARAKKARA, KOLLAM, PIN - 691540
BY ADVS.
T.K.RAJESHKUMAR
JIJO JOSE
MANOJ V GEORGE
ABHISHEK
RHUTHWIK KRISHNA
PARVATHY KRISHNA
RESPONDENTS:
1 STATE OF KERALA
THROUGH ITS SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS,
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, TRIVANDRUM, PIN - 695001
2 THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY
COMPETENT AUTHORITY UNDER BUDS ACT 2019 GOVERNMENT
SECRETARIAT, TRIVANDRUM, PIN - 695001
BY ADVS.
ADVOCATE GENERAL OFFICE KERALA
K.R.RANJITH, GOVERNMENT PLEADER WITH STATE ATTORNEY()
THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON
11.03.2025, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE
FOLLOWING:
WP(C) No. 22110 of 2024 2025:KER:20624
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JUDGMENT
Raja Vijayaraghavan, J.
This Writ Petition is filed by the Popular Group Investors Association
(PGIA) seeking the following relief:
(i) Direct the 1st respondent to provide a standard form or format for
filing claim petition/ applications in the Banning of Unregulated Deposit
Schemes Rules 2020; after accepting the format submitted by the
Petitioners and by applying the collective wisdom of the prosecution or
any other amicus that this Hon'ble Court may like to appoint in the
interest of justice;
2. The learned Government Pleader has filed a memo on 11.02.2025
furnishing a copy of the claim form for the claim petition to be submitted by
various depositors across the State. However, we find that the format of the
claim form has not been made part of the Kerala Banning of Unregulated Deposit
Schemes Rules, 2021 though the Rules had come into force on 25.11.2021. We
find considerable merit in the submission of the learned counsel appearing for
the petitioner that considerable hardship and inconvenience is faced by the
depositors consequent to the same.
3. By an interim order dated 11.02.2025 in W.A.No. 453 of 2021, we
directed the concerned respondent to incorporate the model claim form in the
WP(C) No. 22110 of 2024 2025:KER:20624
Rules without delay. It is now submitted before us that the model claim form
shall be made part of the Rules within an outer limit of one month from today.
4. The submission is recorded and we direct the respondents to abide
by the above undertaking without fail.
5. In that view of the matter, the grievance raised by the petitioner in
this Writ Petition stands redressed.
This writ petition is disposed of.
Sd/-
RAJA VIJAYARAGHAVAN V,
JUDGE
Sd/-
VIJU ABRAHAM,
JUDGE
APM
WP(C) No. 22110 of 2024 2025:KER:20624
APPENDIX OF WP(C) 22110/2024
PETITIONER EXHIBITS
Exhibit P1 TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE RULES NOTIFIED
BY THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
Exhibit P2 TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE RULES NOTIFIED
BY THE GOVERNMENT OF KERALA DATED 25.11.2021
Exhibit P3 TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE FORMAT FOR CLAIM
PETITION PREPARED BY THE PETITIONER
Exhibit P4 THE TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE INCORRECT
NOTICE PUBLISHED IN THE MALAYALA MANORAMA
NEWSPAPER DATED 15.06.2024
Exhibit P5 THE TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE RECTIFIED
NOTICE PUBLISHED IN THE MALAYALA MANORAMA
NEWSPAPER DATED 15.06.2024
