IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
Manju Rani Chauhan, J.
C/M Sri Mahanth Ramashray Das Snakottar Mahavidyalaya and Another – Petitioners
Versus
State of U.P. and Others – Respondents
Writ (C) No. 25840 of 2021
Decided On : 12-11-2021
Constitution of India,1950 - Article 226 - U.P. State Universities Act - Section 68 - Seeking quash impugned order - Committee of management Respondent-University submits that pursuant to order of the Court he has received instruction and as per the said instruction, impugned order has been passed on the resolution of Committee of Management, which has been passed by eight members (out of 11 members) of committee of management for extending the term of the committee of management for a further period of one year - He also placed a photo copy of the said resolution before Court today, which is taken on record. Apart from learned counsel for respondents submits that against the order impugned, the petitioner has an efficacious statutory alternative remedy by way of reference before Chancellor of the respondent-University under Section 68 of the U.P. State Universities Act - Held, No adequate ground was made out for entertaining petition -- Writ of certiorari is discretionary; it is not used merely because it is lawful to do so - Where party feeling aggrieved by an order of an Authority under Income-tax Act has an adequate alternative remedy which he may resort to against improper action of authority and he does not avail himself of that remedy High Court will require a strong case to be made out for entertaining a petition for a writ - Where aggrieved party has an alternative remedy, the High Court would be slow to entertain a petition challenging an order of a taxing authority which is ex facie with jurisdiction. A petition for a writ of certiorari may lie to the High Court, where the order is on face of it erroneous or raises question of jurisdiction or of infringement of fundamental rights of petitioner - Present case was one in which the jurisdiction of the High Court could not be invoked - Writ petition under Article 226 of Constitution should not be entertained when the statutory remedy is available under Act, unless exceptional circumstances are made out - convenient and more effective is that an appeal to (say) secretary of State can be disposed of at one hearing whether issue between them is a matter of law or fact or policy or opinion or a combination of some or all of these - U.P. State within three weeks from today, along with a certified copy of this order - On such reference petition being filed, Chancellor of respondent - University is requested to consider and decide same, in accordance with law by means of a reasoned speaking order, preferably within one month thereafter after affording opportunity of hearing to the parties concerned – Ordered Accordingly
JUDGMENT :
Manju Rani Chauhan, J.
1. Heard Mr. Vinod Kumar Singh, learned counsel for the petitioners, Mr. Ran Vijay Singh, learned counsel for the respondent- University, Ms. Pooja Agarwal, learned counsel for respondent no. 4 and Mr. Shailendra Singh, learned Standing Counsel for the State-respondents.
2. This writ petition has been filed by the petitioners for the following relief:
II. a writ, order or direction, in the nature of certiorari, calling for the records and quash the impugned order dated 26.08.2021 passed by the Vice-Chancellor, Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, Jaunpur (if any).
III. a writ, order or direction, in the nature of mandamus, restraining the respondent no. 4 from working as Manager of Sri Mahanth Ramashray Das Sankottar Mahavidyalaya, Bhudkuda, Ghazipur.
IV. any other suitable, writ, order or direction, as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper under the facts and circumstances of the present case. .................. "
3. On 7th October, 2021, the Court passed following order:
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that without any resolution having been passed by the members of the committee of management as provided under para 11.1 of the registered bye-laws of the society, the Vice-Chancellor I.e. respondent no. 3, only on a letter of the manager of the Committee of Management, has extended the term of the committee of management for a further period of one year, while passing the impugned order dated 28th August, 2021, which is per se illegal. He, therefore, submits that order impugned is liable to be quashed.
5. In reply, learned counsel for the respondent-University submits that pursuant to the order of the Court dated 7th October, 2021, he has received instruction and as per the said instruction, the impugned order has been passed on the resolution of the Committee of Management, which has been passed by the eight members (out of 11 members) of the committee of management for extending the term of the committee of management for a further period of one year. He also placed a photo copy of the said resolution before the Court today, which is taken on record. Apart from the above, the learned counsel for the respondents submits that against the order impugned, the petitioner has an efficacious statutory alternative remedy by way of reference before the Chancellor of the respondent-University under Section 68 of the U.P. State Universities Act. He, therefore, submits that this petition be dismissed on the ground of the aforesaid statutory alternative remedy.
6. I have considered the submissions made by the learned counsel for the parties and have examined the records of the present writ petition.
7. The issue of exhausting statutory remedy has been considered time and again by the Apex Court.
8. A Constitution Bench of the Apex Court, in K.S. Rashid & Son Vs. Income Tax Investigation Commission & Ors. AIR 1954 SC 207, held that Article 226 of the Constitution confers on all the High Courts a very wide power in the matter of issuing writs. The said power is limited. However, the remedy of writ is an absolutely discretionary remedy and the High Court has always the discretion to refuse to grant any writ if it is satisfied that the aggrieved party can have an adequate or suitable relief elsewhere. Similar view has been reiterated by the Apex Court in Sangram Singh Vs. Election Tribunal, Kotah & anr., AIR 1955 SC 425, holding that the power of issuing writs are purely discretionary and no limit can be placed upon that discretion.
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