[Cites 0, Cited by 0]
Manipur High Court
Rk Jibanlata Devi vs State Of Manipur; & Ors on 17 February, 2026
Author: A. Guneshwar Sharma
Bench: A. Guneshwar Sharma
Digitally signed by
KABORAMBA KABORAMBAM
M SANDEEP SANDEEP SINGH
Date: 2026.02.17
SINGH 17:48:20 +05'30'
Supple Sl. No. 1 & 2, Daily Sl. No. 1-6
IN THE HIGH COURT OF MANIPUR
AT IMPHAL
W.P. (C) No. 137 of 2026
RK Jibanlata Devi
Petitioner
Vs.
State of Manipur; & Ors.
Respondents
Clubbed with
MC [W.P. (C)] No. 142 of 2026 with
W.P. (C) No. 79 of 2025 with
MC [W.P. (C)] No. 72 of 2026 with
W.P. (C) No. 66 of 2026 with
MC [W.P. (C)] No. 299 of 2025 with
MC [W.P. (C)] No. 70 of 2025 with
BEFORE
HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. M. SUNDAR
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A. GUNESHWAR SHARMA
(ORDER)
(Order of the Court was made by M. Sundar, CJ)
17.02.2026
[1] In the captioned cluster, there are four 'Writ Petitions'
('WPs' in plural and 'WP' in singular for the sake of convenience), the
details of which are as follows:
(i) W.P. (C) No. 79 of 2025 (I WP)
(ii) W.P. (C) No. 316 of 2025 (II WP)
(iii) W.P. (C) No. 66 of 2026 (III WP)
(iv) W.P. (C) No. 137 of 2026 (IV WP)
[2] As regards I & II WPs, Mr. Syed Murtaza Ahmed, learned
counsel on record for writ petitioners, led by learned senior counsel, Mr.
HS Paonam in I WP and learned senior counsel, Mr. N. Jotendro in II
WP, in III WP, Mr. Niraj B Paonam, learned counsel on record for writ
petitioner (on the Video Conferencing platform) and as regards IV WP,
Mr. E. Premjit, learned counsel on record for petitioner (in the physical
Court), are before this Court.
[3] All the afore-referred learned counsel and learned senior
counsel submit in unison that factual matrix qua the aforesaid four WPs
are inextricably intertwined and the issues are dovetailed.
[4] In III WP i.e., W.P. (C) No. 66 of 2026 (along with MC
thereat) a Division Bench of this Court presided by one of us (Chief
Justice) made an order dated 29.01.2026 and the same reads as
follows:
'29.01.2026.
[1] Mr. K. Parameshwar, learned senior
advocate instructed by Mr. Niraj B Paonam, learned
counsel on record for petitioner is before this Court on
the Video Conferencing platform.
[2] It is submitted that the captioned matter is
dovetailed with WP(C)No.79 of 2025 and the same is
pending in this Court. It is also submitted that Hon'ble
Supreme Court has made an order dated 27.01.2026 in
WP(C)No. 81 of 2026 and the counsel on record for writ
petitioner requests for time to produce that order.
[3] Be that as it may, as it prima facie appears
that there may be overlap of exercise of powers by Chief
Justice on the administrative side and the judicial side,
let the captioned matter be listed before a specially
constituted Division Bench of Hon'ble Mr. Justice
Ahanthem Bimol Singh and Hon'ble Mr. Justice. A.
Guneshwar Sharma tomorrow i.e, 30.01.2026.
[4] Let WP(C)No. 79 of 2025 also be listed
before the same specially constituted Division Bench
tomorrow i.e., 30.01.2026.
[5] To be noted, considering the exigency of
time and also taking into account that the retirement is
due on 31.01.2026, this order is being made on the
judicial side by making an exception.
[6] List both matters before specially
constituted Division Bench tomorrow i.e., 30.01.2026.'
Today, Mr. Niraj B Paonam, learned counsel on record for
petitioner in III WP, submits that he could not produce the order of the
Hon'ble Supreme Court dated 27.01.2026 made in W.P. (C) No. 81 of
2026 on 29.01.2026 as the same had not been uploaded and the copy
had not been made available to the counsel on record on that day
(29.01.2026). Be that as it may, learned counsel also expressed regret
and submitted that he was unable to apprise this Court (through senior
counsel appearing for him) of the contents of the order of Hon'ble
Supreme Court dated 27.01.2026. The order of Hon'ble Supreme Court
dated 27.01.2026 made in W.P. (C) No. 81 of 2026 has since been
placed before this Court and a scanned reproduction of the same is as
follows:
[5] Owing to the afore-referred order of Hon'ble Supreme
Court, as a matter of judicial discipline and institutional propriety in the
hierarchy of Courts, afore-referred 29.01.2026 order made in W.P. (C)
No. 66 of 2026 along with MC thereat is recalled with the consent of all
the aforementioned learned counsel and learned senior counsel. (To be
noted, it is recalled as Hon'ble Supreme Court has requested Chief
Justice of this High Court to take up and decide the writ petition)
[6] Consequently, order dated 30.01.2026 made by Division
Bench of Hon'ble Mr. Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh and Hon'ble Mr.
Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma and other order/s (if any) post
29.01.2026 also stand/s subsumed by the afore-referred recall order.
To be noted, this means that this 30.01.2026 also now stands recalled.
[7] The sequitur is, captioned four WPs along with MCs
thereat will be taken up together by a Division Bench presided by Chief
Justice (pursuant to order of Hon'ble Supreme Court dated 27.01.2026
in W.P. (C) No. 81 of 2026)
[8] List all four captioned/afore-referred WPs along with MCs
thereat tomorrow (18.02.2026) before the Division Bench presided by
Chief Justice under the same cause list caption, i.e., 'AS PER HON'BLE
SUPREME COURT ORDER'
[9] List on 18.02.2026
JUDGE CHIEF JUSTICE
Sandeep
PS I : Upload forthwith
P.S II: All concerned will remain bound by this order as uploaded
in the official website of High Court
