Sunita Rana vs State of U.P. and 3 Others — Allahabad HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Sunita Rana vs State of U.P. and 3 Others — Allahabad HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Permission to withdraw the merits-based claims and file a fresh representation (along with the writ petition and certified copy of this order) before respondent no. 3 (The Diocese of Agra of the Church of North India) within 10 days, with a direction to respondent no. 3 to decide it in accordance with law, expeditiously, preferably within four weeks of receipt; the merits of the voter-list restoration demand were left undecided.

Issue for consideration

Whether respondent no. 3 (The Diocese of Agra of the Church of North India) should be commanded to decide the petitioner's representation dated 25.02.2025. +1 more

Ratio / Principle

Without entering into the merits of the case, the court allowed the innocuous prayer and directed the petitioner to file a fresh representation, along with the present writ petition and certified copy of the order, before respondent no. 3 within 10 days.

Key takeaways

Respondent no. 3 was directed to decide the fresh representation in accordance with law, expeditiously, preferably within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of the said representation.ratio¶18
With the aforesaid directions/observations, the present writ petition was disposed of.ratio¶19

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court of Judicature at Allahabad (Chandra Dhari Singh, J.), WRIT - C No. - 29685 of 2025, Sunita Rana v. State Of U.P. And 3 Others, decided September 8, 2025 (Court No. 32). Petitioner sought (a) mandamus to restore her name in the voter list of St. Thomas Church, Meerut, and (b) mandamus directing respondent no. 3 (The Diocese of Agra of the Church of North India, through its Bishop/Administrative Head, Diocese Office, Agra, U.P.) to decide her representation dated 25.02.2025. Counsel for the petitioner, without entering into merits, made an innocuous prayer for liberty to file a fresh representation with a time-bound decision; Sri Ashish Kumar Dubey, learned standing counsel for the State-respondents opposed the petition on merit but raised no objection to the innocuous prayer. Without entering into merits, the single judge disposed of the petition, directing the petitioner to file a fresh representation with the writ petition and certified copy of the order before respondent no. 3 within 10 days, and respondent no. 3 to decide it in accordance with law, expeditiously, preferably within four weeks from receipt. No statute or precedent was engaged; the substantive voter-list dispute was left unadjudicated.

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD

WRIT - C No. - 29685 of 2025

Sunita Rana

.....Petitioner(s)

Versus

State Of U.P. And 3 Others

		.....R	espondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s)	: Ashutosh Kumar Yadav	Tiwari,	Ram Bilas
Counsel for Respondent(s)	: C.S.C.
Court No.- 32

HON'BLE CHANDRA DHARI SINGH, J.

The instant writ petition has been filed seeking for the following relief:-

"a). Issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus commanding the respondents to restore the name of the petitioner in the voter list of St. Thomas Church, Meerut forthwith.

b). Issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus commanding the respondent no. 3 to decide the representation dated 25.02.2025, submitted by the petitioner, forthwith."

Learned counsel appearing on behalf of petitioner without entering into the merits of the case made innocuous prayer that he may be permitted to file fresh representation before respondent no.3 and a direction may be issued to him to decide the same in time bound manner.

Sri Ashish Kumar Dubey, learned standing counsel appearing on behalf of State-respondents vehemently opposed the petition on merit, but has not opposed the prayer as made by learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner.

Heard learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner and Sri Ashish Kumar Dubey, learned Standing Counsel and perused the contents made in the writ petition.

Without entering into merits of the case, I am inclined to allow the innocuous prayer made by learned counsel for the petitioner as no objection made by learned standing counsel. Petitioner is directed to file a fresh representation along with the present writ petition and certified copy

WRIC No. 29685 of 2025

2

of this order before respondent no.3 The DIOCESE of Agra of the Church of North India, through its Bishop/Administrative Head, Diocese Office, Agra, (U.P.) within 10 days. After receiving the said representation, the respondent no.3 is directed to decide the said representation in accordance with law, expeditiously, preferably within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of the said representation.

With the aforesaid directions/observations, the present writ petition is disposed of.

September 8, 2025

AKT

(Chandra Dhari Singh,J.)

Digitally signed by :- ASHOK KUMAR TRIPATHI High Court of Judicature at Allahabad