Momina Khatun and Anr v. The State of Assam and 12 Ors

ORDER Date : 07.08.2024

Heard Mr. M. Hussain, the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the Petitioners and Mr. A. Bhattacharjee, the learned Standing counsel appearing on behalf of the Respondent No.1. I have also heard Mr. B. Gogoi, the learned Standing counsel appearing on behalf of the Respondent No.2; Mr. I. Borthakur, the learned Standing counsel appearing on behalf of the Respondent Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9; Ms. S. Page No.# 4/5 Sharma, the learned Government Advocate, appearing on behalf of the Respondent Nos. 4, 12 and 13; Mr. A. A. R. Karim, the learned counsel for the Respondent No.10 and Mr. D. C. Nath, the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the Respondent No.11.

¶2The Petitioner No.1 is the wife of one Late Sayed Ali and the Petitioner No.2 is the mother of Late Sayed Ali. On 03.03.2023, a revised formal work order for Implementation of Fakiranijhar Pipe Water Supply Scheme under the Dhubri Division for retrofitting under the programme Jal Jeevan Mission Assam was issued by the Executive Engineer (PHE) in favour of the Respondent No.10. In the course of the execution of the work by the Respondent No.10, three numbers of labourers including Late Sayed Ali who were allegedly engaged by the Respondent No.10 who died inside the underground water reservoir due to suffocation. An FIR was filed which was registered and numbered as Bilasipara P.S. Case No.266/2023 under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code. The post mortem of the victims were conducted at Dhubri Medical College and Hospital on 25.07.2023 and thereupon, the Death Certificate of Late Sayed Ali was issued. The Petitioner No.1 thereupon submitted a representation on 11.09.2023 to the Respondent Authorities with a prayer to pay compensation to the tune of Rs.1,00,00,000/- against Late Sayed Ali under the public law remedy. As no action has been taken, the instant writ petition was filed claiming compensation against all the Respondent Authorities.

¶3This Court has duly perused the writ petition including the enclosures therewith. It is nowhere mentioned that the Respondent Authorities had engaged Late Sayed Ali. It is the question of evidence as Page No.# 5/5 to whether Late Sayed Ali was at all engaged by the Respondent No.10.

¶4From a perusal of the dispute, it therefore transpires that the dispute between the Petitioners and the private Respondents is a civil dispute claiming compensation on account of the negligence of the Respondent No.10. Under such circumstances, the public law remedy under Article 226 of the Constitution cannot be invoked seeking compensation. Accordingly, this Court is not inclined to entertain the instant writ petition for which the instant writ petition stands dismissed.

¶5This Court however observes that if the Petitioners are aggrieved, they are at liberty to approach the appropriate Civil Court seeking compensation against the Respondents herein. This Court taking into account that the instant writ petition is not entertained, observes that the period from the date of filing of the writ petition i.e. from 15.11.2023 till date be excluded while computing the period of limitation, in the circumstance any suit is filed.

JUDGE Comparing Assistant

PageoNo.#o1/5 GAHC010259492023 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oWP(C)/6734/2023o MOMINAoKHATUNoANDoANRo W/OoLT.oSAYEDoALI,oVILL-SUAPATAoPART-II,oP.O.-SUAPATA,oP.S.- BILASIPARA,oDIST-DHUBRI,oASSAM,oPIN-783348 2:oAYSHAoKHATUN oW/OoLT.oABDULoSATTAR oVILL-SUAPATAoPART-II oP.O.-SUAPATA oP.S.-BILASIPARA oDIST-DHUBRI oASSAM oPIN-78334o VERSUSo THEoSTATEoOFoASSAMoANDo12oORSo REPRESENTEDoBYoTHEoCOMMISSIONERoANDoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.o OFoASSAM,oREVENUEo(RELIEFoANDoREHABILITATION)oANDoDISASTERo MANAGEMENToDEPARTMENT,oDISPUR,oGUWAHATI-06 2:THEoCOMMISSIONERoANDoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM oFINANCEoDEPARTMENT oDISPUR oGUWAHATI-06 3:THEoCOMMISSIONERoANDoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM oPUBLICoHEALTHoDEPARTMENT oDISPUR oGUWAHATI-06 4:THEoDISTRICToCOMMISSIONER oDHUBRI oASSAM oP.O.oANDoP.S.-DHUBRI PageoNo.#o2/5 oDIST-DHUBRI oASSAM oPIN-783301 5:THEoMISSIONoDIRECTOR oJALoJEEVANoMISSONo(JJM) oASSAM oHENGRABARI oGUWAHATI-36 6:THEoCHIEFoENGINEERo(PHE) oWATER oASSAM oHENGRABARI oGUWAHATI-36 7:THEoEXECUTIVEoENGINEERo(PHE) oDHUBRIoDIVISION oP.O.oANDoP.S.-DHUBRI oDIST-DHUBRI oASSAM oPIN-783301 8:THEoASSISTANToEXECUTIVEoENGINEERo(PHE) oBILASIPARAoSUB-DIVISION oP.O.oANDoP.S.-BILASIPARA oDIST-DHUBRI oASSAM oPIN-783348 9:THEoS.O.o(PHE) oBARKANDAoSECTION oP.O.-BARKANDA oP.S.-BILASIPARA oDIST-DHUBRI oASSAM oPIN-783348 10:AMINULoISLAMo(CONDUCTOR) oS/OoLT.oKHAIRAToHUSSAIN oVILL-CHOTOBASHJANI oP.O. oP.S.oANDoDIST-DHUBRI oASSAM oPIN-783301 11:SOFIORoRAHMANo(MASON oS/OoSOBDERoALI Page No.# 3/5 VILL-HATIPOTA PART-I P.O. AND P.S.-BILASIPARA DIST-DHUBRI ASSAM PIN-783348 12:THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE DHUBRI ASSAM PIN-783301 13:THE OFFICER-IN-CHARGE BILASIPARA POLICE STATION P.O.-BILASIPARA DIST-DHUBRI ASSAM PIN-78334 For the Petitioner(s) : Mr. M. Hussain, Advocate For the Respondent(s) : Mr. A. Bhattacharjee, SC, Revenue : Mr. B. Gogoi, Standing Counsel : Mr. I. Borthakur, Standing Counsel : Ms. S. Sharma, Government Advocate : Mr. A. A. R. Karim, Advocate : Mr. D. C. Nath, Advocate BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE DEVASHIS BARUAH