T. S. Singhdeo vs. Union Of India Ministry Of Civil Aviation Secretary

xWP(C) 720/16 1 ITEM NO.7 COURT NO.2 SECTION PIL(W) S U P R E M E C O U R T O F I N D I A RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Writ Petition (Civil) No.720/2016 SWARAJ ABHIYAN AND ANR. Petitioner(s) VERSUS UNION OF INDIA AND ORS. Respondent(s) (With appln. (s) for exemption from filing O.T.) WITH W.P.(C) No.753/2016 (With appln.(s) for exemption from filing O.T. and office report) W.P.(C) No.973/2016 (With office report) Date : 19/04/2017 These petitions were called on for hearing today. CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE DIPAK MISRA HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A.M. KHANWILKAR HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MOHAN M. SHANTANAGOUDAR For Petitioner(s) Mr. Prashant Bhushan, AOR WP 973/2016 Mr. Sanjay R. Hegde, Sr. Adv. Mr. Pukhrambam Ramesh Kumar, AOR Mr. Uday Manaktala, Adv. For Respondent(s) Mr. Mukul Rohatg, AG Ms. V. Mohana, Sr. Adv. Ms. Jyoti Taneja, Adv. Ms. Deeksha Rai, Adv. Mr. Mukul Singh, Adv. Mr. Apoorv Kurup, Adv. Mr. V.C. Shukla, Adv. Ms. Jyoti Kalara, Adv. Ms. Madhavi Divan, Adv. Ms. Nidhi Khanna, Adv. WP(C) 720/16 2 UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following O R D E R Heard Mr. Prashant Bhushan, learned counsel and Mr. Sanjay R. Hegde, learned senior counsel for the petitioners and Mr. Mukul Rohatgi, learned Attorney General for the State of Chhattisgarh. Mr. Mukul Rohatgi, learned Attorney General has pointed out that this Court vide order dated 2 nd December, 2016, had taken note of his stand pertaining to preliminary objection. Mr. Prashant Bhushan and Mr. Sanjay R. Hegde, learned counsel for the petitioners have submitted that this Court on number of occasions have entertained these kind of writ petitions filed by the political parties and political personalities. At this juncture, Mr. Rohatgi has submitted that in those cases, such an objection was never raised and in the present case he is constrained to raise the objections, inasmuch there will be reference to CAG report and the report of the PAC. That apart, it has also been urged by him that one of the petitioners is a political party and the other a leader of the opposition. According to Mr. Rohatgi, the area that relates to political dispute has to be solved in those arenas and not to approach this Court under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. The said submission of Mr. Rohatgi is seriously controverted by Mr. Bhushan and Mr. Hegde. Regard being had to the fact that the preliminary objections have to be heard first, we think it appropriate to list the matter on 23 rd August, 2017. (Chetan Kumar)

Court Master (H.S. Parasher) Court Master