STATE OF MAHARASHTRA Vs. ADMANE ANITA MOTI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The real issue in the appeal, whether the High Court was justified in directing the Education Officer by way of interim order, to ensure that 112, students, all girls, admitted by the respondent No. 102 a Christian minority institution, to Diploma in Education (D.Ed.) course for the academic year 1991-92 against the sanctioned strength of 80 should be accommodated and admitted in proper collegs, got submerged in an incidental issue of legality and propriety of one Bench disagreeing with a co-ordinate Bench of the same Court on grant of interim order.

(2.) How the issue of propriety was bloated out of proportion by the State of Maharashtra, presumably, in its anxiety to get the interim order passed by the High Court stayed is a matter of concern. Two basic circumstances, one, by way of affidavit and the other , oral, which persuaded this Court to pass the order were an averment, in the special leave petition, that when petitioners approached the High Court for grant of one month's time, from 20th October 1993, to enable them to file an appeal in this Court, the request was turned down even though the Bench was apprised that this Court was closed for Dussehra vacation, till 26th October 1993, and the appellant was directed to comply with the order by 25th October 1993 even when similar request for interim order had been turned down, earlier, twice by two different Benches. The other was, oral, by learned counsel for the State that the High Court did not extend the time for approaching this Court because it observed that stay orders are granted by this Court, even, at midnight. Whatever may have been the purpose or objective of stating it but the manner in which it was placed before a Bench of this Court of which one of us (R. M. Sahai, J.) was a member, it did have the desired effect resulting in an interim order staying further proceeding in the High Court. But when an affidavit was filed, by an officer of the Department who was present in the court, it transpired that a mountain had been made out of nothing. The affidavit states that the Bench did not extend the time and when it was informed that this Court was closed till 26th October, 1993 it observed that it was not necessary to grant any time as, 'citizens are well aware that the doors of Supreme Court are open at midnight even'. An observation by a Judge, presiding over the highest constitutional Court of the State which is apt to be misunderstood or misconstrued should be avoided in the interest of the institution. The learned Judge should have refrained from making the observationwhich was not only unnecessary but apt to create misapprehension. But it was even more unfortunate that it was taken advantage of by the appellant, who did nor act with responsibility as is expected of it in creating misleading impression on this Court to serve its own purpose. The appellant should have behaved like an enlightened litigant. And not like an ordinary person to obtain an interim order, which was of little consequence, except that it appears to have hurt the vanity of the Education Department. We refrain from saying further except expressing our anguish.

(3.) Not only that the appellant even attempted to assail the observation by the Court in its order dated 20th October, 1993 that the impugned order having been passed with consent there was no justification for delay in compliance of it. Relevant portion of the order is extracted below: