ORDER :- These writ petitions give rise to certain interesting questions of law. The petitioners in W. P. 1127 of 1980 and W. P. 2415 and 2416 of 1982 are merchants and they have their shops in Ranganathan St. T. Nagar, Madras. They have prayed for the issue of a writ of Mandamus directing respondents 1 to 3 to act according to law in removing the hawkers and pedlars from Ranganathan Street, Madras 17 and also the pavements and kerbs therein and to render them absolutely free from obstruction for vehicles and pedestrians from access to the petitioners, shops. Respondents 4 and 5 have been impleaded as additional respondents.

The 4th respondent is the President of the Anna Sirukadai Viyabarigal Sangam.

2. The petitioners in W. P. 7078 of 1980 and 1049 of 1981 are shop owners who carry on their business in N. S.C. Bose Road and Rattan Bazar Road, Madras 1. The prayer in these writ petitions is for the issue of a writ of Mandamus directing the respondents viz., the Municipal Corporation of Madras represented by its Commissioner, and the Commissioner of Police, Madras, directing them to remove the obstructions and encroachments made by the unauthorised hawkers on the N. S.C. Bo