High CourtDivision BenchInterim relief not granted; proceedings to cont...

Swamy Prakasnanda and Anr. v. State of Kerala and Ors.

Case / Petition Number:Civil Appeal No. 486 of 2003

Case Details & Bench

Court
High Court
Hon'ble Judges
  • Dr. A.R. Lakshmanan
  • R.V. Raveendran
Judgment Date
2006-09-18
Court Decision / Holding
Interim prayers rejected; the Authority shall continue to conduct elections as per the final order and the calendar; the old High Court building at Ernakulam is approved as the venue under direct supervision of the Authority; police aid may be used for orderly conduct; the election and declaration of results shall be subject to the court’s responses to the Authority’s order dated 16 August 2006; the Trust shall make specified payments within two weeks; matter to be listed after six weeks for further orders.
Final Disposition
Interim relief not granted; proceedings to continue; elections to be conducted in accordance with the Authority’s orders; matter listed after six weeks.

Parties to the Case

Appellants / Petitioners

  • Swamy Prakasnanda
  • Anr.

Respondents

  • State of Kerala
  • Ors.

Legal Representation & Advocates

Counsels for Petitioners

  • • Gopal Jain
  • • R.N. Karanjawala
  • • Upamanyu Hazarika
  • • Manik Karanajawala
  • • K.V. Mohan

Counsels for Respondents

  • • Raj Abraham
  • • Himinder Lal
  • • Subramonium Prasad
  • • Rajan Babu A.A.
  • • C.K. Sasi

Case Synopsis & Summary

This appeal concerns the election of members to a Trust Board and the appointment of an Authority to determine the validity of admissions and removals, finalize the voter list, and supervise the election calendar. The matter arises from the High Court of Kerala’s order in O.P. No. 19079/1997 and the Civil Appeal No. 486 of 2003. On 2 May 2006, the Supreme Court appointed Justice K.S. Paripoornan as Authority with four functions: (i) scrutinize and decide the validity of the admission of 18 members to the Trust; (ii) examine and decide the validity of their removal/exclusion, and of six original members; (iii) finalize the list of voters for holding elections to elect the Trust Board; and (iv) draw up the calendar and supervise the conduct of elections, declaration of results, and transfer of charge from the existing to the newly elected Board. The Authority issued an order on 16 August 2006 after considering admissions and removals and notified the voter list and calendar for 5 October 2006. Several members filed SLPs and objections to the final order; on 15 September 2006 the Court treated some SLPs as interlocutory responses and granted time for filing. On 18 September 2006 the Court directed that the election process proceed per the calendar, with the old High Court building in Ernakulam as the venue under the Authority’s supervision, and with police aid if needed. The Trust was directed to make specified payments, and the matter was listed for further orders after six weeks.

Submissions & Arguments

Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners

Not stated in the provided excerpt.

Contentions of Respondents

Not stated in the provided excerpt.

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Extracted Judgment Text

Exact text extracted from official judgment records.

A ## SWAMY PRAKASANANDA AND ANR. _v._ ST A TE OF KERALA AND ORS. ## SEPTEMBER 18, 2006 [DR. AR. LAKSHMANAN AND R.V. RA VEENDRAN, JJ.] B _Trust:_ _Trust Board-Election of members to the Trust-Appointment of Authority to pe1for111 functions such as deciding validity of admission/removal of members_ C _to trust; finalizing list of voters and drawing up the calendar and supervising the conduct of elections-Authority passing final order after considering validity of removal and notifi'ing list of voters and calendar-Objections by some members against the final order-Issuing certain directions the Court held. the election process as per the calendar has begun hence any prayer for_ D _interim relief is not considered as that would inte1fere with the processAwhority to proceed with the conduct of elections as per the final order as also calendar published by him-Old High Court Building Ernakulam approved as venue for elections that would ensure holding of election in orderly manner under direct supervision of Authority- Trust also directed to make certain_ E _payments._ E CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : I.A. Nos. 11, 12 and 13 IN Civil Appeal No. 486 of 2003. F From the Final Judgment and/Order dated I 0.8.200 I of the High Court of Kerala at Emakulam in O.P. No. 19079/1997 . . Gopal Jain, R.N. Karanjawala, Upamanyu Hazarika, Manik Karanajawala and K.V. Mohan for the Appellants. G Raj Abraham, Himinder Lal, Subramonium Prasad, Rajan Babu A.A. and C.K. Sasi for the Respondents. G. Prakash, Beena Prakash, K.D. Dileep Kumar and K.R. Sasiprabhu 377 H 378 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2006J SUPP. 6 S.C.R. A for the State of Kerala. The Order of the Court was delivered by ## ORDER B By order dated 2.5.2006, we had appointed Mr. Justice K.S. Paripoornan as the Authority to perform and discharge the following functions : - ·'(i) to scrutinize and decide the validity of the admission of 18 members to the Trust; - (ii) to examine and decide whether the removal/exclusion of the said - c 18 members as also six of the original members from the Trust is valid; - (iii) to finalise the list of voters for holding elections to elect the Trust Board; and - D (iv) to draw up the calendar. and supervise the conduct of the elections for the Board, the declaration of the results, and the handing over of the charge from the existing Board to the newly elected Trust Board." - In pursuance of the same the Authority has passed an order dated - 16.8.2006 after considering the validity of admissions of 18 members and of - E removal/exclusion of the said 18 members as also 6 of the original members. He has also finalized the list of voters and notified the same. The calendar for holding elections on 5.10.2006 has been notified. - Some of the members of the Trust have filed SLPs. objecting to the - F final order dated 16.8.2006 passed by the Authority. But when the matter came up on 15.9.2006, they have requested that the said SLPs. may be treated as interlocutory applications in this matter by way of objections/ response to the final order/report of the Authority. The said request has been accepted. Learned counsel for some other members have l'l:quested for time to file their response in regard to the said final order/report. On 15.9.2006, - G we have granted 6 weeks time for that purpose. We have heard the parties in regard to the interim prayers and considered the Authority's letters dated 8.9.2006 and 11.9.2006 and issue the following directions : H SW AMY PRAKASANANDA _v._ STATE OF KERA LA 3 79 (i) As the election process as per the calendar has begun, we do not A propose to consider any prayer for interim relief that will interfere with the election process. The Authority shall proceed with the conduct of elections as per the final order as also calendar published by him. We also appro.ve the venue for elections as the old High Court building at Ernakulam, which will ensure that the election will be held in an orderly manner under the direct B supervision of the Authority. The Authority shall proceed to complete the functions entrusted, as per our order dated 2.5.2006. The Authority may also take police aid for the orderly conduct of the election. (ii) The election and the declaration of the result shall be subject to the order that we may pass on the responses filed (and to be filed) to the Authority's order dated 16.8.2006 and on the suggestions made by the Authority in Para 30 of his order dated 16.8.2006. (iii) The Trust shall make the following payments within two weeks : (a) Rs.85J42/- to the Authority towards expenses incurred till 8.9.2006. {b) Consolidated remuneration at the rate of Rs. I 5,000/- p.mc to Mr. M.C. Madhavan, Secretary to the Authority, from the date of his appointment. {c) Rs.1,50,000/- as remuneration payable to the Authority tentatively fixed, subject to the final orders. List the matter for further orders after 6 weeks. > D.G. List after 6 weeks for further orcers.