JUDGMENT & ORDER :

AHANTHEM BIMOL SINGH, J.

[1] Heard Mr. N. Ibotombi, learned senior counsel assisted by Mr. Ningtamba, learned counsel appearing for the petitioners and Mr. M. Rarry, learned senior counsel assisted by Ms. Nikita, learned counsel appearing for the respondents.

The present writ petition had been filed with a prayer for quashing the order dated 19-01-2024 issued by the Registrar of Societies, Manipur. By the said impugned order, meeting Notice dated 23-12-2023 issued by the Secretary General of the Manipur Olympic Association for holding the Annual General Meeting of the Association and for election of new office bearers and members of the Executive Council of the Manipur Olympic Association (MOA) had been cancelled.

The petitioner No. 1 is a registered Association under the Manipur Societies Registration Act and affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association represented by its Secretary General and petitioner No. 2 is the newly elected President of the said Association.

[2] The facts of the present case, in a nutshell, is that under the Rules and Regulations of the Manipur Olympic Association (MOA), the term of the elected office bearers and the members of the Executive Council of the MOA is only for a period of four years. As the term of the last office bearers and members of the Executive Council of MOA, which was elected on 19-08-2018 expired on 18-08-2022, the respondent No. 3 submitted a representation dated 07-08-2023 to the Registrar of Societies, Manipur, (respondent No. 2 herein) with a request for holding an election to elect new office bearers and members of the Executive Council of MOA by appointing an independent Returning Officer preferably the Director of the Youth Affairs and Sports.

As the said representation submitted by the respondent No. 3 was not considered by the respondent No. 2, the respondent No. 3 filed a writ petition being WP(C) No. 641 of 2023 before this court and the said writ petition was disposed of by an order dated 14-09-2023 by directing the respondent No. 2 to consider and dispose of the representation submitted by the respondent No. 3 on its own merit and strictly in terms of the applicable rules within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of the said order. In the said order, it was also made clear that the respondent No. 2 shall give opportunity of being heard to all the stakeholders at the time of consideration of the said representation.

[3] As directed by this court and after hearing both the parties, the respondent No. 2 disposed of the said representation by issuing an order dated 23-10-2023. By the said order, the respondent No. 2 decided that the election of new office bearers and Executive Council members of MOA should be conducted on or before 30-11-2023 by Ex-Executive Council members of MOA and as such, the Ex-Executive Council Members of MOA were directed to conduct the election of MOA as per Bye-Laws of the society and Manipur Societies Registration Act, 1989 and its Rules. However, as the election could not be held within the stipulated period as directed by the respondent No. 2, an emergency meeting of the Executive Council of the MOA was held on 22-12-2023 and took a resolution for holding the Annual General Meeting of the Association with election of new office bearers and members of the Executive Council of MOA on 14-01-2024. Thereafter, the Ex-Secretary General of MOA wrote a letter dated 23-12-2023 to the respondent No. 2 informing the latter about the inability to convene the Annual General Meeting with election of new office bearers and Executive Council members of MOA within the stipulated time and also requesting the respondent No. 2 to consider for allowing the MOA to convene the Annual General Meeting with election of new office bearers and Executive Council members on 14-01-2024. After a few days, the Ex-Secretary General wrote another letter dated 26-12-2023 to the respondent No. 2 informing the latter about holding of th