SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2022 Supreme(Pat) 48

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CHAKRADHARI SHARAN SINGH, MADHURESH PRASAD, JJ.
Smt. Sindhu Singh, wife of Chandra Shekhar Singh –Appellant
Versus
The State of Bihar through the Chief Secretary, Govt. of Bihar, Patna - Respondent
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.20463 of 2021
Decided on : 08-02-2022

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant :Mr. Sanjay Singh, Sr. Advocate Mr. Ashok Kumar, Advocate
For the Respondent:Mr. Bibhuti Narayan, Advocate Mr. Lalit Kishore (AG) Mr. Kinkar Kumar, SC-9, Mr. P.K. Shahi, Sr. Advocate Mr. Vikas Kumar, Advocate, Mr. Y.C. Verma, Sr. Advocate

Headnote:

Bihar Municipal Act, 2007 – Section 25(5) – Removal from post of Chief Councillor, Nagar Parishad – There is no specific denial of petitioner's allegation that enquiry report, which was basis for passing impugned order was not supplied to petitioner – Only finding recorded in impugned order in respect petitioner's explanation to show cause notice is that same is not acceptable – There is absolutely no discussion as to what explanation was given by petitioner in her reply to show cause notice and how same was not acceptable – An elected official cannot be permitted to be removed unceremoniously without following procedure prescribed by law, in violation of provisions of Article 14 of Constitution, by State by adopting a casual approach – Though, right to hold such post is statutory and no person can claim any absolute or vested right to the post, but he cannot be removed without strictly adhering to provisions provided by Legislature for his removal – Apart from statutory disqualification, order passed in exercise of powers under section 25(5) also leaves a social stigma, marring future electoral prospects, and is required to be passed strictly in accordance with statute, observing principles of natural justice – Besides, intervenor-petitioner cannot be treated to be a necessary party in present proceedings wherein an order passed under Section 25(5) of Act is under challenge – State within the meaning of Article 12 of Constitution is under obligation to act fairly without ill-will or malice in fact or in law – Impugned order set aside with liberty to respondents to pass appropriate orders in accordance with law. (Paras 13, 15, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 34, 38 and 41)

Doctrine – 'Malice in law' means something done without lawful excuse – It is a deliberate act in disregard to rights of others – It is an act which is taken with an oblique or indirect object – It is an act done wrongfully and willfully without reasonable or probable cause and not necessarily an act done with ill-feeling and spite. (Para 34)

(2012) 4 SCC 407; (2001) 3 SCC 565; (2001)6 SCC 260;(1999)6 SCC 172 – Relied.

(1994) 2 SCC 481 – Distinguished.

2000(1) PLJR 632 – Referred.

JUDGMENT :

CHAKRADHARI SHARAN SINGH, J.

1. The democratic set up of the country has been recognized as basic feature of the Constitution, like other features, namely, supremacy of Constitution, rule of law, principle of separation of powers, power of judicial review under Articles 32, 226 and 227 of the Constitution. ‘Basic’ means the basis of a thing on which it stands, on the failure of which it falls. The enunciation of law to this effect in case of Ravi Yashwant Bhoir vs. District Collector, Raigad and others reported in (2012) 4 SCC 407 is being referred at the outset in the present judgment for two basic reasons. Firstly, we are utterly dismayed over the manner in which the Principal Secretary of Urban Development and Housing Department, Govt. of Bihar (Department in short), in exercise of power under Section 25(5) of the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007 ( for short ‘the Act’) has passed an order removing the petitioner from the post of Chief Councillor, Siwan Nagar Parishad. Secondly, the order which has the effect of removal of a person, democratically elected to an office of a local body having constitutional status, is patently perverse, disclosing complete non-application of mind.

2. In the present writ application, the petitioner has put to challenge an order dated 29.11.2021, issued by the Department under the signature of its Under Secretary. We consider it apt to reproduce the impugned order verbatim:-

    ^^fcgkj ljdkj
    uxjikfydk iz'kklu funs'kky;
    ¼uxj fodkl,oa vkokl foHkkx½
    vkns'k
    lafpdk la[;k&10@u0fo0@fofo/k&06@2021
    fnukad%& Jh foØe daqoj] iwo jkT; ea=h,oa vU; }kjk ftyk inkf/kdkjh dks lefiZr ifjokn i= dh tk¡p ftyk inkf/kdkjh] floku }kjk djkbZ xbZ rFkk tk¡pksijkUr tk¡p izfrosnu i=akd&775] fnukad&06-04-2021 }kjk izsf"kr fd;k x;k gSA tk¡p izfrosnu esa Jhefr flU/kq flga] eq[; ik"kZn] uxj ifj"kn] floku ds fo:) fuEufyf[kr vkjksi izekf.kr ik, x, gSa %&
    ¼1½ uxj ifj"kn] floku ds eq[; ik"kZn ds in ij jgrs gq, fnukad&27-06-2017 dks vLirky eksM+ ls rjokj eksM+ rd lM+d dk 5 QhV pkSM+hdj.k dk;Z ;kstuk izkDdfyr jkf'k :0 49]91]500-00 ¼mUupkl yk[k bD;kuos gtkj ik¡p lkS½ dk,djkjukek fd;k x;k vkSj ik"kZn jgrs gq, dk;Z djk;k x;kA
    ¼2½ ;kstuk esa iz;qDr gksus okyh lkexzh dh tk¡p dk;Z ds igys vkSj ckn esa Hkh ugha djkbZ xbZ gSaA
    ¼3½ dk;kZns'k ds vuqlkj ;kstuk fnukad 26-09-2017 dks iw.kZ gksus okyh Fkh] ftlesa in dk nq:i;ksx djrs gq, fnukad 20-02-2018 dks iw.kZ fd;k x;k vkSj fcuk le; foLrkj djk;s vkSj fcuk 10 izfr'kr dh jkf'k dh dVkSrh fd;s 5 ¼ik¡p½ fd'rksa esa Hkqxrku fd;k x;kA
    ¼4½ fufonk vkea=.k lwpuk 1600] fnukad 07-09-2016 dh dafMdk la[;k&26 esa Li"V vafdr gS fd lqjf{kr tek jkf'k dk;Z lekfIr ds rhu o"kZ i'pkr dk;Z larks"kizn gksus ds ckn gh foeqDr dh tk,xhA 'krZ dk mYya/ku djds lqjf{kr tek jkf'k :0 3]17]000-00 ¼rhu yk[k lÙkjg gtkj½ okmpj la[;k 11] psd ua0& 307@043] fnukad 08-08-2019 }kjk izkIr dj yh xbZA
    ¼5½ dwM+k fuLrkj.k ds uke ij ljdkj ds funZs'kksa ls gVdj] fcuk l{ke vf/kdkjh ls vkns'k izkIr fd;s :0 4]00]037]85-00 ¼pkj djksM+ rhu gtkj lkr lkS ipklh½ :i;s tehu Ø; ds uke ij [kpZ fd, x, gSaA
    ¼6½ uxj ifj"kn] floku ds lk/kkj.k cSBd ls :0 50]000]00-00 ¼ipkl yk[k½ rd dh [kjhnkjh dh iz'kklfud Lohd`fr dh 'kfDr izkIr gS] bruh cM+h jkf'k dh [kjhn ds fy, iwoZ esa l{ke izkf/kdkj ls Lohd`fr izkIr ugha dh x;h gSA
    ¼7½ rRdkyhu dk;Zikyd inkf/kdkjh dks fnukad 30-06-2017 fn;k x;k vkns'k ^^izfrosnu cksMZ dh cSBd esa j[kdj izLrko dh liaqf"V izkIr djsa^^] cksMZ dh cSBd dk rkRi;Z lk/kkj.k cSBd ls gksrk gS] tcfd fo'ks"k cSBd fnukad 30-06-2017 ds izLrko la[;k&4 ds vU;k;


    (xxi)}kjk LFkkbZ lfefr dh cSBd fnukad 27-06-2017 dh liaqf"V dh x;h gSA
    ¼8½ Ø; dh x;h tehu ij uxj ifj"kn viuk dCtk ugha dj ik jgk gSA futh Hkwfe dk Ø; xzkeh.kksa ds fojks/k ds ckotwn Hkh LokFkZ iwfrZ ds fy, fd;k x;k gS vkSj tehu dk mi;ksx ugha gks jgk gSA
    ¼9½ Hkwfe Ø; ds MhM ds i`"B la[;k&4 esa Hkqxrku fooj.kh ds dkWye esa fy[kk x;k gS fd tehu ds ewY; dk Hkqxrku muds,oa muyksxksa ds xfBr lewg ;wfud MsoyilZ }kjk la;qDr :i ls gksxh tcfd MhM ls foØsrk ds :i esa ;wfud MsoyilZ ugha gSA
    ¼10½ ;wfud MsoyilZ dks cM+h jk

                Click Here to Read the rest of this document
                1
                2
                3
                4
                5
                6
                7
                8
                9
                10
                11
                SupremeToday Portrait Ad
                supreme today icon
                logo-black

                An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

                Please visit our Training & Support
                Center or Contact Us for assistance

                qr

                Scan Me!

                India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

                For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

                whatsapp-icon Back to top