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2023 Supreme(P&H) 2748

IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH
AUGUSTINE GEORGE MASIH, HARPREET SINGH BRAR, JJ.
Ravinder Singh – Petitioner
Versus
Union Territory, Chandigarh & Ors. – Respondents
CWP NO. 7711 of 2023 (O&M)
Decided On : 17-04-2023

Advocates Appeared:
Mr.Paras Money Goyal, Advocate; For the Petitioner
Mr.Anil Mehta, Senior Standing Counsel with Ms.Aashna Gill, Advocate for the respondents -UT, Chandigarh.

Headnote:(A) Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 - Resumption order - Petition challenging resumption order dated 10.07.2003, penalty imposed for misuse, and dismissal of revision petition - Resumption upheld due to non-payment of misuse charges within stipulated time - Long delay in filing the writ petition not satisfactorily explained. (Paras 10-14)

(B) Laches and delay - High Court declined relief due to inordinate delay in seeking remedy under Article 226 of the Constitution, with principles from State of M.P. v. Nandlal Jaiswal and other cases affirming lack of diligence from the petitioner. (Paras 7-9)

(C) Right to equality and misuse charges - Court upheld the imposition of misuse charges, ruling that Article 14 does not create negative equality; a petitioner cannot rely on others' inadvertent benefits. (Paras 9-10)

Facts of the case:
The petitioner inherited a site allotted to his grandfather and continued the usage after his father's death. The authority issued a resumption order due to non-payment of misuse charges.

Findings of Court:
The resumption order was valid as it complied with the allotment terms and the petitioner failed to pay charges, thus justifying the authority’s actions.

Issues: Legitimacy of imposition of penalty, rights under Article 14, and justification for resumption under the relevant law.

Ratio Decidendi: The court affirmed the law that mandates adherence to allotment conditions and penalties for non-compliance, ruling against the petitioner's claims of discrimination and undue delay.

Result: Writ petition dismissed.

Table of Content
1. petitioner's background and resumption orders. (Para 1 , 2)
2. arguments regarding misuse charges and discrimination. (Para 3 , 4)
3. court's observations on delay and explanation. (Para 5 , 6 , 7)
4. principles of laches and undue delay outlined. (Para 8 , 9 , 10)
5. justification of the resumption order. (Para 11 , 12 , 13)
6. writ petition dismissal. (Para 14 , 15)

JUDGMENT

Harpreet Singh Brar, J.

The petitioner has approached this Court for issuance of a writ in the nature of Certiorari seeking quashing of resumption order dated 10.07.2003 (Annexure P-6), order dated 25.03.2009 (Annexure P-10) passed by respondent No.3 and order dated 16.02.2020 passed by respondent No.6 imposing misuse charges and also the order dated 15.02.2012 (Annexure P-13) vide which the revision petition filed by the petitioner was dismissed by respondent No.2. Petitioner has further sought a writ of mandamus directing the respondents to restore the site in question to him.

2. Briefly, the facts of the case are that the grandfather of the petitioner was allotted SCF No. 21, Sector 21-C, Chandgiarh vide letter of allotment dated 10.10.1960. As per the condition of the allotment letter, the site in question was allotted for general trade. The original allottee i.e. Niranjan Singh died in the year 2001. After his death, father of the petitioner namely Gurmail Singh started using the site in question. The father of the petitioner also died in the year 2016. Pursuant to a show cause notice dated 26.07.2002 (Annexure P-5) respondent No.4 resumed the site in question vide order dated 10.07.2003 (Annexure P-6). The petitioner challenged the above order by filing Appeal No. 180 of 2004. The respondent No.3 dismissed the appeal filed by the petitioner vide order 04.05.2006 (Annexure P-7). The petitioner thereafter challenged the order of respondent No.3 before respondent No.2, who remanded the case back vide order dated 12.07.2006 (Annexure P-9) for passing a speaking order in accordance with law after giving proper hearing to the parties. Respondent No.3 accepted the appeal filed by the allottee vide order dated 25.03.2009 (Annexure P-10). The above order was subject to the condition that the misuse charges which are payable under the law, shall be paid by the allottee within 30 days from the date the same is communicated to him, failing which the resumption order passed by Estate Officer-respondent No.4 shall become operational. The misuse charges were intimated to the petitioner on 16.02.2010 (Annexure P-11). Since the order dated 25.03.2009 passed by the Chief Administrator (respondent No.3) for deposit of misuse charges was not complied with, the resumption order dated 10.07.2003 (Annexure P-6) passed by the Estate Officer-respondent No.4 came into operation. Ultimately a notice under Section 4 (i) of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act of 1971' for short) was served on the occupant of the site on 17.08.2021 calling upon him to show cause as to why the order of eviction be not passed in respect of the site in question.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner has vehemently argued that in the facts and circumstances of the present case the authorities below could not have imposed the misuse charges for a period which is more than six months as an outer limit is prescribed under the relevant Rules. He further argued that the order dated 16.02.2010 (Annexure P-11) imposing penalty is a non-speaking order and no reasons have been given for imposing such a huge amount of penalty and that the same has been imposed without providing any opportunity of hearing to the petitioner. All principles of natural justice have been violated. The order imposing penalty has been passed mechanically without there being any application of mind. Even the show cause notice issued in the year 2002 before the resumption proceedings did not contain a provision for imposition of penalty and it is a sett

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