BARI DOBA BANK LIMITED Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This judgment will dispose of two writ petitions, CWP No.3885/96, Bari Doab Bank Ltd. v. Union of India & Ors. and CWP No. 4046/96,Punjab Cooperative Bank Ltd. v. Union of India & Ors., as they raise commonquestions of law.

(2.) The facts of each case may be reproduced as follows :Ban Doab Bank Ltd. v. Union of India b Ors-

(3.) The petitioner Bank v/as started in the year 1915 and initially had twobranches till 1947. One branch was in Lahore and the other one was situated inHoshiarpur (Punjab). It is further alleged that the Bank has always been a profit-making company and even at the time of partition in the year 1947 the Bank whileclosing down its business at Lahore repaid all its depositors whatsoever withoutany deductions. The Bank is situated in a backward under-developed area and isa small scale bank having only one branch.