Ravindra Kumar vs The State Of Bihar
2023 Latest Caselaw 264 Patna

          IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                     Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.303 of 2023
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1. Ravindra Kumar Son of Sri Bhagwan Lal Sah Resident of Village and P.O.-

Karnpura, P.S.- G.B. Nagar, District- Siwan, Presently residing at 97C, 2nd Floor, Satyam Enclave, Jhilmil, P.S.- Vivek Vihar, East Delhi, New Delhi.

2. Punya Deo Sah, Son of Late Jagarnath Prasad Resident of Village and P.O.-

Karnpura, P.S.- G.B. Nagar, District- Siwan.

3. Om Prakash Gupta, Son of Bhigurasan Sah Resident of Village and P.O.-

Karnpura, P.S.- G.B. Nagar, District- Siwan.

4. Harendra Kumar Gupta, Son of Sri Bharat Sah Resident of Maharajganj Road, Tarwara, P.S.- G.B. Nagar, District- Siwan.

... ... Petitioner/s Versus

1. The State of Bihar through the Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Revenue and Reforms, Govt. of Bihar, Old Secretariat, Bailey Road, Patna.

2. The Secretary, Department of Revenue and Reforms, Govt. of Bihar, Old Secretariat, Bailey Road, Patna.

3. The District Magistrate, Siwan.

4. The District Land Acquisition Officer, Siwan.

5. The Deputy Collector Land Reforms, Maharajganj, P.O. and P.S.-

Maharajganj, District- Siwan.

6. The Circle Officer, Maharajganj, P.O. and P.S.- Maharajganj, District-

Siwan.

... ... Respondent/s ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Bipin Bihari Singh, Advocate Mr. Shyama Kant Singh, Advocate For the Respondent/s : Mr.Md. Khurshid Alam ( AAG- 12 ) ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PARTHA SARTHY ORAL JUDGMENT (Per: HONOURABLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE) ===================================================== (The proceedings of the Court are being conducted by Hon'ble the Chief Justice/ Hon'ble Judges through Video Conferencing from their residential offices/residences. Also, the Advocates and the Staffs joined the proceedings through Video Conferencing from their residences/offices.) =====================================

Date : 20-01-2023 Patna High Court CWJC No.303 of 2023 dt.20-01-2023

This petition was filed on 09.01.2023, which was

registered and listed immediately, and is taken up today for

hearing.

Heard learned counsel for the parties.

Petitioners have prayed for the following relief(s):-

The Hon'ble Supreme Court in D. N. Jeevaraj Vs.

Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka & Ors, (2016) 2

SCC 653, paragraphs 34 to 38 observed as under:-

"34. The learned counsel for the parties Patna High Court CWJC No.303 of 2023 dt.20-01-2023

addressed us on the question of the bona fides of Nagalaxmi Bai in filing a public interest litigation. We leave this question open and do not express any opinion on the correctness or otherwise of the decision of the High Court in this regard.

35. However, we note that generally speaking, procedural technicalities ought to take a back seat in public interest litigation. This Court held in Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra v. State of U.P. [Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra v. State of U.P., 1989 Supp (1) SCC 504] to this effect as follows: (SCC p. 515, para 16) "16. The writ petitions before us are not inter parties disputes and have been raised by way of public interest litigation and the controversy before the court is as to whether for social safety and for creating a hazardless environment for the people to live in, mining in the area should be permitted or stopped. We may not be taken to have said that for public interest litigations, procedural laws do not apply. At the same time it has to be remembered that every technicality in the procedural law is not available as a defence when a matter of grave public importance is for consideration before the court."

36. A considerable amount has been said about public interest litigation in R&M Trust [R&M Trust v. Koramangala Residents Vigilance Group, (2005) 3 SCC 91] and it is not necessary for us to dwell any further on this except to say that in issues pertaining to good governance, the courts ought to be somewhat more liberal in entertaining public interest litigation. However, in matters that may not be of moment or a litigation essentially directed against one organisation or individual (such as the present litigation which was directed only against Sadananda Gowda and later Jeevaraj was impleaded) ought not to be entertained or should be rarely entertained. Other remedies are also available to public spirited litigants and they should be encouraged to avail of such remedies.

37. In such cases, that might not strictly fall in the category of public interest litigation and for which other remedies are available, insofar as the issuance of a writ of mandamus is concerned, this Court held in Union of India v. S.B. Vohra [Union of India v. S.B. Vohra, (2004) 2 SCC 150: 2004 SCC (L&S) 363] that: (SCC p. 160, paras 12-13) "12. Mandamus literally means a Patna High Court CWJC No.303 of 2023 dt.20-01-2023

command. The essence of mandamus in England was that it was a royal command issued by the King's Bench (now Queen's Bench) directing performance of a public legal duty.

13. A writ of mandamus is issued in favour of a person who establishes a legal right in himself. A writ of mandamus is issued against a person who has a legal duty to perform but has failed and/or neglected to do so. Such a legal duty emanates from either in discharge of a public duty or by operation of law. The writ of mandamus is of a most extensive remedial nature. The object of mandamus is to prevent disorder from a failure of justice and is required to be granted in all cases where law has established no specific remedy and whether justice despite demanded has not been granted."

38. A salutary principle or a well-recognised rule that needs to be kept in mind before issuing a writ of mandamus was stated in Saraswati Industrial Syndicate Ltd. v. Union of India [Saraswati Industrial Syndicate Ltd. v. Union of India, (1974) 2 SCC 630] in the following words: (SCC pp. 641-42, paras 24-25) "24. ... The powers of the High Court under Article 226 are not strictly confined to the limits to which proceedings for prerogative writs are subject in English practice. Nevertheless, the well-recognised rule that no writ or order in the nature of a mandamus would issue when there is no failure to perform a mandatory duty applies in this country as well. Even in cases of alleged breaches of mandatory duties, the salutary general rule, which is subject to certain exceptions, applied by us, as it is in England, when a writ of mandamus is asked for, could be stated as we find it set out in Halsbury's Laws of England (3rd Edn.), Vol. 11, p. 106:

'198. Demand for performance must precede application.--As a general rule the order will not be granted unless the party complained of has known what it was he was required to do, so that he had the means of considering whether or not he should comply, and it must be shown by evidence that there was a distinct demand of that which the party seeking the mandamus Patna High Court CWJC No.303 of 2023 dt.20-01-2023

desires to enforce, and that that demand was met by a refusal.'

25. In the cases before us there was no such demand or refusal. Thus, no ground whatsoever is shown here for the issue of any writ, order, or direction under Article 226 of the Constitution."

After the matter was heard for some time, learned

counsel for the petitioners, under instructions, states that

petitioners shall be content if a direction is issued to the

authority concerned (respondent no.4, The District Land

Acquisition Officer, Siwan) or any of the statutory authority

to consider and decide the representation which the petitioners

shall be filing within a period of four weeks from today for

redressal of the grievance(s).

Learned counsel for the respondents states that if such

a representation is filed by the petitioners, the authority

concerned shall consider and dispose it of expeditiously and

preferably within a period of four months from the date of its

filing along with a copy of this order.

Statement accepted and taken on record.

As such, petition stands disposed of in the following

terms:-

(a) Petitioner shall approach the authority concerned

within a period of four weeks from today by filing a Patna High Court CWJC No.303 of 2023 dt.20-01-2023

representation for redressal of the grievance(s);

(b) The authority concerned shall consider and dispose

it of expeditiously by a reasoned and speaking order preferably

within a period of four months from the date of its filing along

with a copy of this order;

(c) Needless to add, while considering such

representation, principles of natural justice shall be followed

and due opportunity of hearing afforded to the parties;

(d) Equally, liberty is reserved to the petitioners to

take recourse to such alternative remedies as are otherwise

available in accordance with law;

(e) We are hopeful that as and when petitioners take

recourse to such remedies, as are otherwise available in law,

before the appropriate forum, the same shall be dealt with, in

accordance with law and with reasonable dispatch;

(f) Liberty reserved to the petitioners to approach the

Court, if the need so arises subsequently on the same and

subsequent cause of action;

(g) Liberty also reserved to the petitioners to make a

mention for listing of the petition on priority basis. As and

when any such mention is made, Registry shall take steps for

listing the petition at the earliest. Patna High Court CWJC No.303 of 2023 dt.20-01-2023

(h) We have not expressed any opinion on merits. All

issues are left open;

(i) The proceedings, shall be conducted through digital

mode, unless the parties otherwise mutually agree to meet in

person i.e. physical mode;

The petition stands disposed of in the aforesaid terms.

Interlocutory Application(s), if any, stands disposed

of.

(Sanjay Karol, CJ)

(Partha Sarthy, J) P.K.P./Amrendra AFR/NAFR CAV DATE Uploading Date 24.01.2023 Transmission Date