JUDGMENT

Shah, J.-Leave granted.

2. Limited question involved in this appeal is - whether the High Court ought not to have exercised its jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for granting relief in case of alleged breach of contract.

3. Settled law -writ is not the remedy for enforcing contractual obligations. It is to be reiterated that writ petition under Article 226 is not the proper proceeding for adjudicating such disputes. Under the law, it was open to the respondent to approach the Court of competent jurisdiction for appropriate relief for breach of contract. It is settled law that when an alternative and equally efficacious remedy is open to the litigant, he should be required to pursue that remedy and not invoke the writ jurisdiction of the High Court. Equally, the existence of alternative remedy does not affect the jurisdiction of the Court to issue writ, but ordinarily that would be a good ground in refusing to exercise the discretion under Article 226.

4. Despite the settled law, respondent filed CWJC No. 3968 of 1997 before the High Court of Patna challenging the decision taken by the appellants to deduct a sum of Rs. 15.24 lacs for the loss s