PUSHPANCHALA CHOUDHARY Vs. STATE OF M P

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This is a petition filed under Section 482 Cr. P. C;, for issuing appropriate directions to the respondents not to arrest the peti- tioner in pending cases or in the alternative to be released on bail in the event of arrest.

(2.) According to the petitioner, she and her husband are social workers and are running an institute named as Tribal Development and Training Institute, Rajpur Dist. Sarguja, which is registered under the provisions of M. P. Societies Registrikaran Adhiniyam, 1973. The petitioner and her husband as well as other persons committed to the social work have been working in the tribal area of Sarguja for the upliftment of the tribals since 1976 and have undertaken various welfare projects such as opening of Adult Education Centres, Plantation programme, Construction of well and ponds, providing fertilisers and seeds, etc., to the tribal people of that area.

(3.) In the year 1984, the petitioner conducted survey regarding the ownership rights of the tribals and on discovering that the tenancy rights of the tribals are not being granted by the Revenue Authorities to the tribal, the petitioner filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, in which directions as per order Annexure A-l were issued. On failure of the District Autho- rities to comply with the said directions, a petition for contempt was moved by the petitioner and order as per Annexure A-2 was passed by the Supreme Court, after which 'Pattas' to about twenty thousand Adhivasis were distributed.