STATE OF KERALA Vs. MUSLIM EDUCATION SOCIETY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) WA Nos. 1163/14 and 1164/14 are filed by the State of Kerala and others, aggrieved by the interim order dated 18/08/2014 in WP (C) No. 20767/14 and WP (C) No. 20513/14. WA No. 1188/14 is filed by the Corporate Manager, Thalassery Diocese and another, who are aggrieved by the interim order dated 18/08/2014 in WP (C) No. 19649/14.

(2.) The order dated 18/08/2014 which is impugned in these writ appeals is a common order passed in a batch of writ petitions. When writ appeal Nos. 1163/14 and 1164/14 initially came up for consideration before this Court, since any order passed in these appeals would affect the petitioners in the other writ petitions in which also interim orders are passed, this Court directed the appellants to serve notice of these writ appeals on the counsel for the petitioners in all other writ petitions. Thereupon, copy of the appeal memorandum were served on the counsel appearing in all other writ petitions in this batch and all the remaining writ petitions were also listed before this Court. Accordingly, when the appeals were heard on 27/08/2014 and 28/08/2014, apart from the counsel for the parties in these appeals, the counsel appearing for the remaining writ petitioners were also allowed to raise their arguments.

(3.) The writ petitions were filed mainly challenging the order passed by the 1st appellant on 31/07/2014, sanctioning new higher secondary schools and additional higher secondary batches in Government and aided sector in the State for the academic year 2014-15. Before we consider the merits of the rival contentions, we shall briefly narrate the facts which led to the filing of these cases.