The Manager, Reliance Jio Infocom Ltd v. Kedar Nath Pathak and 32 Ors

ORDER 06-12-2023 Heard Shri J. Roy, learned Senior Counsel for the applicants/respondent nos. 13 & 14, who by means of this application has prayed for cancellation/alteration/vacation of the interim order dated 16.10.2023 passed in the connected WP(C) No. 5853/2023. It is submitted that the interim order was ex-parte qua the present applicants.

¶2The subject matter of the writ petition is the installation of a mobile phone Page No.# 8/10 tower by the present applicants. In support of the challenge, various grounds have been cited in the writ petition.

¶3This Court while issuing notice vide the order dated 16.10.2023 had passed an interim order that till the returnable date, the respondents shall not take any further steps to operationalize the said mobile tower. The said interim order was passed taking into consideration the averments made in paragraph 25 of the writ petition whereby it was stated that the tower in question was yet to start functioning.

¶4The learned Senior Counsel by referring to the annexures of the Interlocutory Application more specifically Annexure-5 thereof has submitted that the aforesaid averment was incorrect to the knowledge of the writ petitioners as the commissioning was done 12th June 2023. The learned Senior Counsel has pointed out that such fact would also be revealed from the writ petition itself and in this connection has referred to the averments made in paragraph 19 of the writ petition.

¶5Shri P. Teli, learned counsel appearing for the writ petitioners/opposite parties has however submitted that the interim order should be extended and the application should be dismissed as there are grounds for adjudication in the writ petition.

¶6Ms. P. Tamuli, learned counsel appearing on instruction of Shri K. Phukan, learned CGC however submits that as per instructions received, the grounds taken in the writ petition are not tenable as the apprehension of any health hazards are not sustainable.

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¶7To appreciate the rival contentions, it may be necessary to refer to the averments, the consideration on which, the interim order has been passed. For ready reference paragraph-7 of the order dated 16.10.2023 which contain the interim order is reproduced below:-

"7. The petitioners, in paragraph 25 of this writ petition, have averred that the installation work of the said ground based mobile tower is complete, it has not yet started functioning. In view of such specific averments by the petitioners that the said ground based mobile tower has not yet started functioning, it is provided, in the interim, that till the returnable date, the respondents shall not take any further steps to operationalize the said mobile tower."

¶8To appreciate the contentions advanced in support of vacating the interim order which is admittedly ex-parte qua the present applicants, the averments made in paragraphs 25 as well as 19 of the writ petition are also examined.

¶9On examination of the said averments, it is clear that contradictory statements have been made by the writ petitioners themselves with regard to the commissioning / functioning of the mobile tower in question.

¶10The submissions made by Ms. Tamuli, learned counsel has also been taken into consideration, who has refuted the allegations of any probable health hazards by installation / functioning of the tower in question.

¶11This Court has noticed that the main premises on which the interim order was passed was the statement that the tower in question has not started functioning and that statement appears to be prima facie incorrect from the materials placed on record on behalf of the applicants. The statements made in the writ petition itself would also show that such stand is not consistent. Page No.# 10/10

¶12In view of the above, this Court is of the view that there is no reasons for continuing the interim order dated 16.10.2023 and therefore the interim direction stands vacated.

¶13IA accordingly stands allowed. JUDGE Comparing Assistant

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