Asha v. The Commissioner

W.P.Nos.21712oofo2026,oetc.,oandoBatch INoTHEoHIGHoCOURToOFoJUDICATUREoAToMADRAS DATED:o17.06.2026 CORAM: THEoHON'BLEoMR.oJUSTICEoA.D.JAGADISHoCHANDIRA AND THEoHON'BLEoMR.oJUSTICEoSHAMIMoAHMED oW.P.Nos.21712,oo21715,o21717,o21719,o21724,o21729o, o21735,o21737,o21750,oo21753,o21758o&o21761oo fo2026o oandoW.M.P.Nos.oo23525,o23526,o23527,o23529,o23533,o23539,o23541o,o 23544,o23571,o23575,o23581o&o23582oofo2026 Asha …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21712oofo2026 Yagatha …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21715oofo2026 Amul …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21717oofo2026 M.Naveen …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21719oofo2026 Jeeva …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21724oofo2026 Uma …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21729oofo2026 A.Latha …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21735oofo2026 J.Sathiya …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21737oofo2026 M.Udhaykumar …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21750oofo2026 Kavibharathi …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21753oofo2026 M.Kumaresan …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21758oofo2026 M.Sangeetha …ooPetitioneroinoW.P.No.21761oofo2026 Vs.

¶1The Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation, Ripon Building, Chennai – 600 003.

¶2The Zonal Officer, Zone 5, Greater Chennai Corporation, Basin Bridge Road, Chennai 21.

¶3The Town Vending Committee, Zone XIII, Ripon Building, EVR Salai, Chennai 03. ... Respondents in all W.Ps. Common Prayer: Writ Petitions are filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Mandamus or direction in the nature of writ, to forbear the respondents, their officials or anyone claiming through them from interfering with the running of the petitioners' bunk shop at Broadway Area, Zone 5, Chennai 03, wherein selling tea, coffee, snacks and other food items therein till the Town Vending Committee is formed and decides the petitioners' application dated 19.02.2026 made for the grant of issuance of certificate of vending as per the provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood Regulation) Act, 2014. In all W.Ps. For Petitioners : Mr.B.Ramprabu For Respondents : Mr.S.Gopinathan Standing Counsel COMMON ORDER (Order of the Court was made by A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA, J.) The present writ petitions have been filed seeking a direction to restrain the respondents or their officials from interfering with the running of the petitioners' bunk shops at Broadway Area, Zone 5, Chennai 03, pending the formation of the Town Vending Committee and its decision on the petitioners' representations dated 19.02.2026 for the issuance of a certificate of vending.

¶2Mr.S.Gopinathan, learned Standing Counsel, takes notice on behalf of the respondents.

¶3In view of the consent expressed by the learned counsel on either side, these writ petitions are taken up for final disposal at the admission stage itself.

¶4Learned counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that the petitioners have been running a business of selling tea, coffee and snacks at Broadway, Zone -5, Chennai, for several years without causing any disturbance to the public and have also obtained an identity card from the Greater Chennai Corporation as street vendors. However, the officials of the respondent Corporation are now preventing the petitioners from operating at the said location. Consequently, the petitioners sent separate representations dated 19.02.2026 to the respondents seeking a Certificate of Vending under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. Since no action has been taken on those representations, the present petitions have been filed.

¶5Learned Standing Counsel appearing for the respondents/ Corporation, submitted that the aforesaid Act was enacted for protecting street vendors, whereas the petitioners claim to be running bunk shops at Broadway, Zone -5, Chennai. He further submitted that the petitioners have not mentioned any specific area and further, though the petitioners claim that they have obtained street vendor identity cards from the Greater Chennai Corporation, in their prayer, they have stated that they are running bunk shops. He, therefore, submitted the petitioners are not entitled to run bunk shops and hence, the writ petitions are liable to be dismissed.

¶6Having heard the learned counsel appearing on either side and perused the materials available on record, this Court is of the view that the petitioners are not entitled to run bunk shops.

¶7Accordingly, the writ petitions are dismissed. However, this order will not stand in the way of the petitioners seeking a Certificate of Vending strictly as street vendors, in accordance with the law. Consequently, all connected miscellaneous petitions are closed. No costs. (A.D.J.C., J) (S.S.A., J)

17.06.2026 ham To

¶1The Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation, Ripon building, Chennai – 600 003.

¶2The Zonal Officer, Zone 5, Greater Chennai Corporation, Basin Bridge Road, Chennai 21.

¶3The Town Vending Committee, Zone XIII, Ripon building, EVR Salai, Chennai 03. W.P.Nos.21712oofo2026,oetc.,oandoBatch oA.D.JAGADISHoCHANDIRAoo,oJo. AND SHAMIMoAHMED,oJ. ham

17.06.2026