Girdhar Laxmandas Harwani v. State of Maharashtra, Thr. Secy., Urban Development Depat. , Mumbai and Ors.
Service matter – Locus standi
Case brief
What is this about?
Writ Petition No. 4873 of 2025, Bombay High Court, Nagpur Bench (2025:BHC-NAG:8368-DB), decided 25/08/2025 by Anil S. Kilor and Ajit B. Kadethankar, JJ. Petitioner Girdhar Laxmandas Harwani prayed for investigation into the alleged illegal transfer on deputation of respondent No.3 (appointed as Clerk by respondent No.2 in Akola Municipal Corporation) and recovery of salary paid to him; the petitioner learnt of the transfer through an RTI reply. The Court held the matter to be a service matter, the petitioner a third person without locus standi, and that even a public interest litigation cannot be entertained in service matters; petition dismissed. Keywords: locus standi, public interest litigation, service matter, deputation transfer, Akola Municipal Corporation, RTI.
What did the court decide?
The dispute is a service matter and the petitioner is a third person to raise the issue; it is settled law that in service matters even public interest litigation cannot be entertained.