Writ Maintainibility Def
Writ Maintainibility Def
have been passed yet against the petitioner nor any other adverse action has been taken against
them association or the suspected individuals. Hence, it seems that the whole plot of the petitioner
was to hinder the passing of final orders and to prevent the initiation of investigation proceedings
for the suspected charges of tax violation and thus, the petitioner is trying to stall such proceedings
by filing pre – mature writ petition. It is submitted that the whole object of the petitioner is malafide
and mischievous.
It is submitted that redressal mechanism has been provided under the statute which must be
followed in case an assessee is aggrieved. The Petitioner has not followed the statutory redressal
mechanism and has directly challenged the constitutionality and legality of the FIR’s vide this
petition at an immature stage before the Hon’ble Court. The Petitioner has wrongly invoked the
jurisdiction of the Court under Art. 226 of the Constitution of India, 1950.
It is contended that a writ in exercise of the power under Article 226 of the Constitution is
discretionary and extraordinary, that too, when a complete mechanism for efficacious remedy is
provided under the statute, more so, a fiscal one.1 The Apex Court in the case of CIT v. Chhabil Das
Agarwal4 relied upon its earlier decisions and held that:
“Thus, while it can be said that this Court has recognized some exceptions to the rule of alternative
remedy, i.e., where the statutory authority has not acted in accordance with the provisions of the
enactment in question, or in defiance of the fundamental principles of judicial procedure, or has
resorted to invoke the provisions which are repealed, or when an order has been passed in total
violation of the principles of natural justice, the proposition laid down in Thansingh Nathmal v.
Supdt. of Taxes,5 Titagarh Paper Mills v. State of Orissa6 and other similar judgments that the HC
will not entertain a petition under Article 226 of the Constitution if an effective alternative remedy is
available to the aggrieved person or the statute under which the action complained of has been
taken itself contains a mechanism for redressal of grievance still holds the field. Therefore, when a
statutory forum is created by law for redressal of grievances, a writ petition should not be
entertained ignoring the statutory dispensation.”
In the instant case, no such condition has arisen which would invoke the exceptions as the case is at
a premature stage, where the rights and liabilities are still to be crystallised. The Dy. SP based on his
reason to believe and his finding that there has been concealment of primary facts by X regarding
the source of his income has filed the FIR u/s 154 which is as per procedure and well within his
jurisdiction.
In Nivedita Sharma v. Cellular Operators Assn. of India,2 Hon’ble Apex Court held that where
hierarchy of appeals is provided by the statute, party must exhaust the statutory remedies before
resorting to writ jurisdiction for relief. In Thansingh Nathmal v. Supdt. of Taxes,8 the Apex Court
adverted to the rule of self-imposed restraint that the writ petition will not be entertained if an
effective remedy is available to the aggrieved person and observed:
“The HC does not therefore act as a court of appeal against the decision of a court or tribunal, to
correct errors of fact, and does not by assuming jurisdiction under Article 226 trench upon an
2
alternative remedy provided by statute for obtaining relief. Where it is open to the aggrieved
petitioner to move another tribunal, or even itself in another jurisdiction for obtaining redress in the
manner provided by a statute, the High Court normally will not permit by entertaining a petition
under Article 226 of the Constitution the machinery created under the statute to be bypassed, and
will leave the party applying to it to seek resort to the machinery so set up.”
In Titaghur Paper Mills Co. Ltd. v. State of Orissa,3 Apex Court observed that “It is now well
recognised that where a right or liability is created by a statute which gives a special remedy for
enforcing it, the remedy provided by that statute only must be availed of.” The aforementioned
proposition was aptly laid down Willes, J. In Wolverhampton New Waterworks Co. v. Hawkesford4 as:
“There are three classes of cases in which a liability may be established founded upon a statute. But
there is a third class viz. where a liability not existing at common law is created by a statute which at
the same time gives a special and particular remedy for enforcing it. The remedy provided by the
statute must be followed, and it is not competent to the party to pursue the course applicable to
cases of the second class. The form given by the statute must be adopted and adhered to.”
Relying upon the assertions and adjudications of the Hon’ble Apex Court in the aforementioned
cases, it is contended that it is settled that the extraordinary jurisdiction of the High Court under
Article 226 of the Constitution cannot be invoked when an efficacious alternative remedy is available
with the assessee.
3
4