Disposed¶35

Rev. Dooraballi John Augustine v. The Station House Officer II Town

Andhra Pradesh HC8 Sept 2025WP/2829/2020

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Pastor JMB Church Ongole; police interference in civil dispute; writ of mandamus Article 226; disputed questions not to be adjudicated in writ petition; remedies before appropriate forum; due process of law; CRP No.4898/2018 dt.11-12-2018; writ petition disposed of; no order as to costs; pending miscellaneous petitions closed.

What did the court decide?

No substantive relief; petitioner left open to work out his remedies in accordance with law before the appropriate forum; police directed to follow the due process of law in case any crime is registered against the petitioner; no order as to costs; pending miscellaneous petitions (if any) stood closed. ¶35

Rev. Dooraballi John Augustine Vs The… — Writ and Judicial Review | Andhra Pradesh HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether this Court, in a writ petition under Article 226, should adjudicate the disputed questions concerning the alleged interference by respondent Nos.1 and 2 (police) in the civil dispute between the petitioner and respondent No.5 relating to the petitioner's functioning as Pastor in JMB Church, Ongole.

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Court's answer

The Court declined to adjudicate the disputed questions raised in the writ petition, having regard to the submissions of both learned counsel.

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Ratio / Principle

The writ petition was disposed of, leaving it open to the petitioner to work out his remedies in accordance with law before the appropriate forum.

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Key takeaways

The police were directed to follow the due process of law in case any crime has been registered against the petitioner.ratio¶35

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Writ Petition No.2829 of 2020 (High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati, decided 09.09.2025, Dr Justice Venkata Jyothirmai Pratapa): Rev. Dooraballi John Augustine, Pastor of JMB Church, Ongole (Prakasam District), sought a writ of mandamus under Article 226 to declare that the police respondents (Nos.1 and 2), allegedly at the instance of Padma Joshi (respondent No.5), interfered with a pending civil dispute by confining his church functions and Sunday preaching to the Pulpit area, purportedly contrary to the orders of this Court in CRP No.4898/2018 dated 11-12-2018. The Government Pleader for Home submitted on instructions that the police never interfered in the civil disputes and that the petitioner should seek appropriate remedies before the competent court. Holding that it was not inclined to adjudicate the disputed questions in the writ petition, the Court disposed of the petition, leaving the petitioner to work out his remedies before the appropriate forum, while directing the police to follow the due process of law in case any crime is registered against the petitioner; no order as to costs; pending miscellaneous petitions (if any) stood closed.

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APHC010048662020

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI

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(Special Original Jurisdiction)

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TUESDAY, T HE NINTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER TWO T H OUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE

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PRESENT

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THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA WRIT PETITION NO: 2829 OF 2020

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Between:

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Rev. Dooraballi John A u gustine, S/o John Sundaram Aged about 75yrs, Occ Pastor, JMB Church Ongole, Prakasam District

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...Petitioner

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AND

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The Station House O f ficer II Town, Police Station Ongole, Prakasam District

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The Deputy Superintend e nt of Police Ongole, Prakasam District

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The Superintendent of P o lice, Ongole, Prakasam District

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The State of Andhra Pradesh Rep, by its Principal Secr e tary Home Department Secretariat, V e lagapudi Guntur District

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Padma Joshi, W/o G.J o shi Aged about 63yrs, R/o 3rd Lane, Cloughpet Ongole, Prakasam District

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...Respondents

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Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India prayin g that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased to pleased to issu e a writ, order or direction more particularly one in the nature of writ of Mand a mus to declare the action of the respo n dent Nos.1

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and 2 in interfering with the civil dispute pending between the petitioner and respondent Nos.5 and others by preventing the petitioner to perform all functions and from entering into the JMB Church on Sundays and preach from any place other than Pulpit area as arbitrary, illegal and contrary to the orders of this Hon'ble court in CRP No.4898/2018, dt.11-12- 2018 and consequently direct the respondent Nos.1 and 2 not to interfere with the functions of the petitioner as Pastor in JMB Church, Ongole, Prakasam District for all purposes except preaching from Pulpit area on Sundays as per the orders of this Hon'ble court in CRP No.4898/2018, dt.11-12-2018

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IA NO: 1 OF 2020

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Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased pleased to direct the respondent Nos.1 and 2 not to interfere with the functions of the petitioner as Pastor in JMB Church, Ongole, Prakasam District for all purposes except preaching from Pulpit area on Sundays as per the orders of this Hon'ble court in CRP No.4898/2018, dt.11-12-2018 pending disposal of the writ petition

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Counsel for the Petitioner: P NAGENDRA REDDY

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Counsel for the Respondents: GP FOR HOME (AP) Counsel for the Respondents:KOTI REDDY IDAMAKANTI (SC FOR ZPP MPP AND GRAM PAN) Counsel for the Respondents:G R SUDHAKAR

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The Court made the following order:

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THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA WRIT PETITION NO: 2829 OF 2020

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ORDER:

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This Writ Petition is filed under Article 226 of Constitution of India with

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the following prayer for:

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“…pleased to issue a writ, order or direction more particularly one in the nature of writ of Mandamus to declare the action of the respondent Nos.1 and 2 in interfering with the civil dispute pending between the petitioner and respondent Nos.5 and others by preventing the petitioner to perform all functions and from entering into the JMB Church on Sundays and preach from any place other than Pulpit area as arbitrary, illegal and contrary to the orders of this Hon'ble court in CRP No.4898/2018, dt.11-12- 2018 and consequently direct the respondent Nos.1 and 2 not to interfere with the functions of the petitioner as Pastor in JMB Church, Ongole, Prakasam District for all purposes except preaching from Pulpit area on Sundays as per the orders of this Hon'ble court in CRP No.4898/2018, dt.11-12-2018….”

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Heard Sri P.Nagendra Reddy, learned counsel for the petitioner, Sri Md.Farooq, learned Assistant Government Pleader for Home.

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Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the police are interfering with the peaceful possession and enjoyment of the petitioner in respect of the subject property at the instance of respondent No.5.

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On the other hand, learned Government Pleader for Home, on instructions, submits that there are civil disputes between the petitioner and respondent No.5. It is further submitted that the respondent Nos.1 and 2 has never interfered in the civil disputes of the petitioner and the unofficial

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respondents at any point of time and the petitioner has to approach before the competent Court of law to avail appropriate remedies.

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Learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that recording the same, the petition may be disposed of.

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Having regard to the submissions of both the learned counsel, this Court is not inclined to adjudicate the disputed questions in the present writ petition.

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Accordingly, this Writ Petition is disposed of, leaving it open to the petitioner to work out his remedies in accordance with law before the appropriate forum. However, the police are directed to follow the due process of law in case of any crime has been registered against the petitioner. There shall be no order as to costs.

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As a sequel thereto, pending miscellaneous petitions if any, shall stands

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closed.

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Dr. JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA

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Date: 09.09.2025. KKV

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THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA

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