RAMENDRA KISHORE PRASAD Vs. S. BHATTACHARYA AND ORS.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner, a resident of Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), has preferred this writ of quo warranto to oust the respondent No.1 from the office of Chairman and Managing Director (for short 'CMD') of Coal India Limited (for short 'CIL').

(2.) The petition was heard on admission, wherein, issue concerning jurisdiction of this Court to entertain a writ petition was also addressed by learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, therefore, before proceeding to deal with the merits of the matter, this Court would first dwell on the issue of its territorial jurisdiction to entertain the writ petition.

(3.) Indisputably, the order of appointment of respondent No.1 as CMD of CIL has been issued by the Government of India, Ministry of Coal at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi on 18.12.2014. The respondent No.2 is the Union of India arrayed through the Secretary of Ministry of Coal, which has its office in New Delhi. Similarly, the offices of the respondent No.3 Public Enterprises Selection Board and the respondent No.4 Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions are at New Delhi. The CIL, of which the respondent No.1 has been appointed as CMD, has its headquarter at Kolkatta (West Bengal). Thus, none of the respondents or their offices are located in the State of Chhattisgarh.