UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS versus OSWAL WOOLLEN MILLS LTD. AND OTHERS

Citation: [1984] 3 S.C.R. 342 · Decided: 27-03-1984 · Supreme Court of India · Bench: O. CHINNAPPA REDDY · Disposal: Appeal(s) allowed

Judgment (excerpt)

342 
A 
VNION OF INDIA AND 0THERS 
v. . 
OSWAL WOOLLEN MILLS LTD. AND. OTHERS 
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March 27, 1984 
[(). CmNNAPPA REom< A.P. SEN AND E.S. VENKATARAMIAH, JJ.J 
lmpori Control Order, 1955. CtaU.se 8-B-Writ petitlon by company_impug-
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~ring order un,der Clause 8-B·grant of· exjJarte lnteri111 stay by lfigh Court 
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M•hether 11nlid and ,legal. 
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·Practice ·& Procedu,~e-Statqtoty Or;lers-Grant o.f exparte interim stay by 
Courts.:..validity of. 
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Petiti~ner company.situated in Punjab-Relief sought against Union Of lnd;fl" .· 
situated in New Delhi-Writ petition in Calculta High Cor1~t-Flli~g of whe-
ther vafid-
The respondeflts filed. a Writ petition in the High Court. of Calcutta against 
an order made under Clause 8-B of the Import Control ord~r 1955, in respect or 
a consignffient of beef tallow \vhich arrived.at the Calcutta Port. A Single Judge 
is~ue4_ a rule-and~ranted an interim ordey restrainin·& ·the Union of India" and 
-the Chief Controller of ImP.orts and Export,<; from fil ihg any criminal complaint 
against the respotident-firm ·or its Directors and also a direction to pCrmit the: 
. respondents to ·re-export the consignment of tallow. A.n application \vas made-
by the-Union of India to vacate the interim order, In the mean\vJ1ile the res-
pOndents sent letters and telegtams to. the departn1ent. intimating ·that. the 
interim order of the High .Court had not been obeyed, and,threatening actioa 
for contempt of Court,' An· application to co_.11mit _the Chief Controller or 
Imports a~d Exports, and others for conte~pt Of c9urt was filed by the com-
.pany. Over-ruUng the request made on behalf of the Department to vacate the 
iriterim order, the cou'tt issued a rule in the application for conten1pt and direc~ 
ted the..r>epar.ti;nent officials.to appear i~ person. 
Bein'g aggrieved by the ot;:der, the Department filed'!- Special Leave Petition 
against the interim order a.nd the rule for contempt. 
Allowing the appeal, vacating the ifiterim orde! and quashing the !ule fOi::-
-contempt" of Coutt ;· 
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HELD: I. Writ' petitions .are often deliberalely filed in distant High 
B . ,,. Coitfts, ~s.part of a manoeuvre i~·a legal battI~, so as. to fenPer it difficult r°""· 
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L"J-;JON 'v. OSWAL.WOOLLEN MILLS, 
343. 
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the' ~ffici:ils at D!lhi to cio_v>!· applic~tion<J ·to. vaca~~ _·stay where it becomes 
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- • 11eCessary to file such applications. 'An .irie~itable. 're~ult or ihe filing or' writ· 
l)Ctitions -elsewhere_ than· at, tl1t viace ~her~ the concerned·Offi;::cs and. ihe re1e-. 
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--vant recOrds ~re localed is to d.!l~Y proJVpt retul-n and contest. [345B·C, A) . · 
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- Jo ;he i~~tant-~<>t. th'! ~rit pel;tiOn w~'i flied. in the .Calc~tta· .Hi~h- _C~urt·: 
--When the pl'fx:e of- tJie c"fn)1dny-is-in th~ Staie c.'f Pu.~jab and all the prin.ciPat 
· Tespond~nts ~r.: in.Delhi. · 
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2. A 'St1rurory or Je; ~a:h" a:; th~ Ol)e ~~der" Clause 8-R of_ the Import . 
·Control Ordet purporis to be made'. in the pub Ii.: interest· and Unless· there are 
·~yen· stro~g~r grOupcls 'Or" rublic interest· ari ~x.'p:a'rte inte~frn· Order ~:ill nOt be. 
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, :jll5tified •. T~: ~illy rippl"ep_riatt'oi"dei 10· m?ke in .. suCli c~ses is_'tO _issue notlce tO 
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- the respondents. and make it rclurnable" \vithin a !-hort·period.'This should parti.,; 
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· culafy bC so where 'the--Offi.:~~ of th.: Principal respondents and reieVant· reCofdS •' 
lie. outside ·the. o·~dinary ju~isdiction· or the ~ C<?urt. '.To , g·rant ·. interi_Ill relief 
~traight away and ·1eave it_ to.·the~respondents to h_ave the interim order· 
· vacat'=<! may j:::opJ.rdi'>e th~ p_ublic-interest- [346G-J47A] 
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. ~ _3. -1{3.n intenm or:ler. is one.! m1d6 by· a cou'r"t, parties 'employ every_ 
-device and· tactic to wa~ off the final hearing or ~he applicatioa. · It ·is the~eT'. 
fore. necessary for ·the courti to be circumsp.:ct in the matter or granting 
. in~erim relier. more particularly·so where the interi~ relief is direcied against.: · ·, 
:0rders Ur actions of public officials actipg in discharge of their public duty _and· 
·in' exercise Or statutory powefs. C347BJ ·.. 
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: ·;In th~ instant case, :no inierim relier Should hav~ been grantCd by the
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·. ··Collft. The. futerim, order iS Of a drastic character With ·a great potential for 
~ mischief and ·has. 

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