RATAN LAL SONI Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS writ petition, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, has been filed by Ratanlal Soni, who claims himself to be a Journalist and Editor of 'jung KE KHILAF JUNG', a Hindi weekly published from Jaipur. In paragraph 2 of the writ petition, he narrated the purpose of filing the writ petition and the same is : "the present writ petition is being submitted as a public interest litigation to show as to how public authorities are making gross and wholesale violation of law. "

(2.) IN paragraph 10 (a) of the writ petition, the petitioner alleged that the Hindi daily Rajasthan Patrika in its issue dated 21. 8. 1989 published a news item that the Jaipur Development Authority (hereinafter to be referred to as 'the J. D. A. ') approved schemes of three Housing Cooperative Societies ignoring all the relevant rules and regulations in that behalf. Relying on the Rajasthan Patrika of the aforesaid date, the petitioner claimed that the approved plan of these Housing Cooperatives involved lands of crores of rupees and these plans were earlier disapproved, but now in order to give advantage to these Societies, the plans have been approved. He alleged that the ulterior motive disclosed by the Rajasthan Patrika was an eye opener.

(3.) THE allegations made against the Diamond Hill Scheme of Meena Colony are based on the newspaper report printed in the Rajasthan Patrika, copies of which have been filed along with the writ petition as Annexures 3 and 4, whereas the allegations made against the Sindhi Samiti are based on the news item published in 'rashtradoot', which is another Hindi daily newspapers published and printed from Jaipur.