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2025 Supreme(Online)(Cal) 2939

CALCUTTA HIGH COURT
Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, J
Bapi Chakraborty – Appellant
Versus
The Municipal Commissioner, Kolkata Municipal Corporation – Respondent
C.O. 2203 of 2025



Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Mr. Biswaroop Bhattacharya, Mr. Chandrachur Chatterjee, Ms. Rubab Fatma
For the Respondents: Mr. Debjit Mukherjee, Ms. Priyanka Jana, Mr. Shourjyo Mukherjee, Mr. Vishwarup Acharyya

A party must fully disclose related ongoing proceedings in the court to avoid misleading the tribunal, particularly when fraud is alleged.

Headnote:(A) Article 227 of the Constitution of India - Review - The petitioner, an owner of a commercial space, challenged an order of the Municipal Tribunal concerning a demolition and sought a stay through an appeal under Section 5 of the Limitation Act. The appeal was found to be filed without disclosing a related pending writ petition and thus raised issues of fraud and misrepresentation. (Paras 1, 7, 11)

(B) Limitation Act - Section 5 - Application for condonation of delay must clarify the context of any pending related matters before the tribunal to avoid misleading the Tribunal. (Para 9)

Facts of the case:
The petitioner appealed against a demolition order and presented a document claimed to be fraudulent, yet did not contest its validity before the relevant authority. The Municipal Tribunal fixed a hearing date for further proceedings.

Findings of Court:
The court found no sufficient grounds to intervene in the Tribunal's decision, reiterating the need for transparency regarding the pending writ petition and asserting that the matter should have been raised beforehand.

Issues: The primary issue focused on whether the Tribunal's refusal to investigate alleged fraud regarding a document was justified and the implications of suppressing a related writ petition's existence.

Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized the importance of full disclosure in judicial proceedings and found the Tribunal's conclusions regarding the suppression of information and refusals to investigate appropriate given the contexts presented.

Result: C.O. 2203 of 2025 stands disposed of.

This application under Article 227 of the Constitution of India is at the instance of an owner of a commercial space of a multi-storied building and is directed against an order dated 25th April, 2025 passed by the Municipal Building Tribunal, Kolkata Municipal Corporation in B.T. Appeal No.113 of 2024.

By the order impugned, the learned Tribunal fixed

26th June, 2025 for filing receipt showing payment of cost and for hearing of the application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act and thereafter hearing of the stay application.

Mr. Bhattacharya, learned advocate appearing for the petitioner submits that challenging an order of demolition passed by the Special Officer (Building) on 5th December, 2022 in Demolition Case No. D-59-D/Br.- X/21-22, the petitioner preferred an appeal being B. T. Appeal No.113 of 2024 before the Municipal Building Tribunal. Since the said appeal was filed beyond the statutory period of limitation, the same was accompanied by an application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act . The petitioner has also filed an application praying for stay of the operation of the order of demolition passed by the Special Officer (Building).

Mr. Bhattacharya submits that a document dated

14th March, 2022 was placed before the Special Officer (Building). He submits that the said document is a representation, purported to have been signed by the petitioner herein, but according to Mr. Bhattacharya, the same is a manufactured document. He submits that the petitioner took out an application for initiating an enquiry into the matter against the Municipal Authority and the private respondent, which was rejected by the order impugned by imposing cost.

Mr. Debjit Mukherjee, learned advocate represents the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. He submits that the petitioner submitted a representation dated 6th March, 2024 praying for regularization of the illegal construction. He further submits that alleging inaction on the part of the Municipal Authority, the petitioner filed the writ petition before the Hon’ble Court being WPA 8573 of 2025 and an order was passed in the said writ petition directing the Municipal Authority to file a report. He submits that suppressing the fact of pendency of the writ petition, the petitioner filed the instant civil revision alleging that the petitioner did not pray for regularization of the illegal construction. He submits that the Municipal Tribunal was right in holding that it cannot go into the issue of fraud or misrepresentation alleged to have been practised before the Special Officer (Building).

Mr. Mukherjee, learned advocate appearing for the private respondent/opposite party nos.5 to 7 submits that the petitioner has admitted in the civil revisional application that he received a notice dated 28th April, 2022 for the purpose of hearing which was fixed on 23rd May, 2022. Therefore, he submits that the petitioner made incorrect statement by saying that the petitioner was not present at the time of hearing before the Special Officer (Building).

Heard the learned advocates appearing for the parties and perused the materials placed. It appears from the impugned order that 26th June, 2025 was fixed for hearing of the application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act and thereafter hearing of the stay application. It has been submitted by the learned advocate appearing for the petitioner that hearing of the application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act has been fixed on 21st August, 2025. Therefore, the writ petitioner cannot be said to be aggrieved by the portion of the impugned order fixing the date of hearing of the application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act . Now, the question remains as to whether the learned Tribunal was right in not allowing the prayer of the petitioner seeking investigation against the Municipal Authority and the private respondent. The learned Tribunal recorded that it appears from the case record of the demolition case that the petitioner herein contested

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