NONGMEIKAPAM VICTINA Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The instant Public Interest Litigation has been instituted by a practicing Advocate asse-rtedly premised on information obtained from the public domain and principally on the strength of articles published in the "Hindu" as well as NE NOW (annexed to the petition as Annexures A/3 and A/5 respectively); essentially praying for an appropriate direction that the High Powered Committee (HPC) formed by the High Court of Tripura at Agartala in Sudipa Nath Vs. Union of India and Ors. reported as 2022 SCC OnLine Tri 691 (annexed as Annexure A/2 to the present petition) and granted pan-India status by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in Muruly M. S.Vs State of Karnataka and Ors. reported as 2023 SCC OnLine SC 224 (annexed as Annexure A/1 to the present petition); be declared redundant and otiose and further direct it not to consider any matter of transfer of wild or captive Elephants as its tenure and purpose has come to an end; and conseque-ntly, also to issue direction for the dissolution of the said HPC, respondent No. 3 herein.

(2.) In other words, axiomatically, the petitioner seeks declaratory relief that HPC's tenure and purpose has come an end and praying for a further direction dissolving the HPC.

(3.) The HPC in question as aforestated was first established by the High Court of Tripura in Sudipa Nath (supra) by issuance of the following directions :