J U D G M E N T

C.K. THAKKER, J.

Leave granted.

A simple issue before this Court in the present appeal is as to whether a part of the cause of action had arisen within the territorial jurisdiction of the High Court of Punjab & Haryana so as to entertain a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution filed by the appellant-Company against the respondents.

Brief facts of the case are that the Appellant is a company having its Registered and Corporate Office at Chandigarh. Respondent No. 1 is the State Bank of Sikkim, and Respondent No. 2 is the State of Sikkim. The second respondent-State of Sikkim was desirous of disinvesting 49% of its equity capital in the first respondent-State Bank of Sikkim to a strategic partner with transfer of management in the first respondent Bank. For that purpose, the second respondent issued an advertisement in "Economic Times" on January 21, 2004 and invited offers for strategic partnership. Interested parties, firms and companies having management expertise were asked to apply with detailed bio-data profiles to the State Bank of Sikkim at its Head Office at Gangtok on or before February 7, 2004. It was stipulated in the advertisement that the offer