HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
B.S.Chauhan, Ghanshyam Dass
Jitendera Kumar Gupta
Versus
U.P.Power Corporation Ltd.
Civil Misc Writ Petition 15768 of 2003
Decided On : 14 April 2003
Civil Misc Writ Petition 15768 Of 2003
ABUSE OF PROCESS - Electricity Charges - Code of Civil Procedure - Public Policy - Res Judicata - Administration of Justice
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner failed to pay electricity charges and filed multiple writ petitions despite previous orders. The court found the petitioner's actions to be an abuse of the court process.
Finding of the Court:
The court dismissed the petition and imposed a cost of Rs. 10,000 on the petitioner.
Issues: Abuse of court process, non-compliance with previous orders, filing successive writ petitions.
Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized the principles of public policy, res judicata, and administration of justice to prevent abuse of the court process.
Final Decision: The petition was dismissed with a cost of Rs. 10,000 imposed on the petitioner.
( 1 ) THIS is a unique case where the petitioner has considered to have a licence to abuse the process of the Court and approached the Court without complying with the order passed by this Court passed earlier. The petitioner was sent a bill for electricity charges by the respondents. As it was not paid, recovery proceedings were initiated against him and citation was issued. Instead of making the payment he filed to Writ Petition No. 4558/ 2002 wherein this Court vide order dated 30-1-2002 considered it proper that a opportunity be given to the petitioner for making representation and therefore one months time was given to the respondent-Authorities to consider his representation. The said representation for adjusting his bills for the work done by him in the Elections for the State Assembly and Parliament was rejected.
( 2 ) BEING aggrieved petitioner again filed writ Petition No. 47654/2002, which was disposed of vide order dated 11-11-2002 obvserving as under-In our opinion, no ground has been made out to quash the citation and the prayer made in that behalf is refused. Sri Arun Tandon has submitted that some time may be granted to the petitioner to enable him to deposit the amount, Sri Vinod Misra has, however, submitted that the petitioner must show his bona fides by depositing one fourth of the amount within a week. If he does so, sometime may be given to him to deposit the balance amount. Taking into consideration the specific feature of this case, as per the averments made in para 28 of the writ petition, we dispose of the writ petition with a direction that the proceedings for recovery of the amount as arrears of land revenue shall remain suspended provided the petitioner deposits one-fourth of the amount due by 18-11-2002 and the entire balance amount by 18-12-2002. In case of default in depositing the amount as indicated above, the stay order shall stand automatically vacated and it will be open to the respondents to recover the entire amount in accordance with law.
( 3 ) THE present writ petition has been filed to quash the citation on the basis of which recovery is being made, i. e. , the same subject matter which has already been adjudicated upon by this Court and rejected on merit. However on sympathetic consideration certain observations had been made in favour of the petitioner which he did not comply with at all. Such a petition cannot be held to be maintainable being barred by res judicata/constructive res judicata and other principles based on public policy enshrined in various provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure.
( 4 ) THE issue of filing successive writ petition has been considered by the Honble Supreme Court time and again and held that even if the earlier writ petition has been dismissed as withdrawn, Public Policy which is reflected in the principles enshrined in Order 23 rule 1 c. P. C. , mandates that successive writ Petition be not entertained for the same relief. (Vide m/s Sarguja Transport Service v. State Transport Appellate Tribunal Ashok Kumar v. Delhi Development Authority and Khacher singh v. State of U. P. and others ).
( 5 ) EVEN if a party does not pray for the relief in the earlier writ petition, which he ought to have claimed in the earlier petition, he cannot file a successive writ petition claiming that relief, as it would be barred by the principle of constructive res judicata enshrined in Explanation iv to Section 11 and Order 2 rule 2 c. P. C. as has been explained, in unambiguous and crystal clear language by the Honble supreme Court in Commissioner of Income tax v. T. P. Kumaran Union of India and others v. Punni Lal and D. Gudasji and Co. v. State of Mysore.
( 6 ) SIMILAR view has been reiterated by the honble Supreme Court in Avinash Nagra vs. Navodaya Vidhyalaya Samit, and by the other Court in Uda Ram vs. Central State farm and Ors. 8; and M/s Rajasthan Art Emporium, Jodhpur vs. Rajasthan State Industrial and Investment Corporation and Ors. .
( 7 ) IN
Union of India and Others v. Punni Lal
Avinash Nagra v. Navodaya Vidhyalaya Samiti
Rajasthan Art Emporium, Jodhpur v. Rajasthan State Industrial and Investment Corporation and Ors.
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and Anr. v. N.Rajureddiar and Anr
REFERRED TO : Sarguja Transport Service v. State Transport Appellate Tribunal
Ashok Kumar v. Delhi Development Authority
Uda Ram v. Central State Farm and Ors.
State of U.P. and Anr. v. Labh Chand
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