Disposed¶15

Mahadeb Mandal and Ors. v. State of West Bengal and Ors.

Calcutta HC25 Feb 2026WPA/418/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

LPG auto rickshaw drivers with Regional Transport Authority permits restrained from plying by local toto and motor van drivers; police complaint and subsequent enquiry; rival claims over route permits; Court holds Regional Transport Authority is the appropriate forum and grants liberty to approach it; police to continue surveillance and maintain law and order; writ petition disposed of, no costs; WPA 418 of 2026; Suvra Ghosh, J.

What did the court decide?

Writ petition disposed of; petitioners granted liberty to approach the Regional Transport Authority for redressal of their grievance; police directed to continue surveillance in the area and ensure maintenance of law and order; no order as to costs. ¶15

Mahadeb Mandal and Ors. Vs State of West Bengal and Ors. — Calcutta HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

¶15

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioners, LPG-run auto rickshaw drivers possessing permits issued by the Regional Transport Authority, were being restrained from plying their vehicles by local toto and motor van drivers, and whether the police failed to act on their complaint. +1 more

¶8

Court's answer

The police shall continue surveillance in the area in order to avoid any untoward incident and shall ensure maintenance of law and order.

¶14

Ratio / Principle

The issue pertains to the Regional Transport Authority, which is the appropriate forum to decide the allegation raised by the petitioners; the petitioners are at liberty to approach the said authority for redressal of their grievance.

¶13

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Writ petition by LPG-run auto rickshaw drivers, members of Gosaba Auto Rickshaw Van Kalyan Samiti, holding permits issued by the Regional Transport Authority, who alleged they were restrained from plying their vehicles by local toto and motor van drivers and that the police took no steps on their complaint. The State's report recorded that an enquiry was held and the police continued mobile patrolling and traffic management, demonstrating rival contentions between the groups over grant of route permits and plying of vehicles on the route. The Court held that the issue pertains to the Regional Transport Authority, the appropriate forum to decide the allegations, disposed of the writ petition with liberty to the petitioners to approach that authority for redressal, and directed the police to continue surveillance in the area to avoid untoward incidents and ensure maintenance of law and order. No order as to costs; the allegations in the writ petition were deemed not admitted since no affidavit was invited.

¶1

22 25.02.2026 Ct. No.5 b.das

¶2

WPA 418 of 2026

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Mahadeb Mandal & Ors. Vs. The State of W. B. & Ors.

¶4

Mr. Aniruddh Singh Mr. Saptak Naskar …for the petitioners. Md. Ahsanuz Zaman Mr. Milan Kr. Maity …for the State.

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Affidavit of service filed by the petitioners and report submitted by the State are taken on record.

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Copy of the report is made over to the learned counsel for the petitioners in Court this day.

¶7

Heard learned counsels for the parties.

¶8

Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the petitioners who are auto rickshaw drivers and are members of Gosaba Auto Rickshaw Van Kalyan Samiti are operators of LPG run auto rickshaws. They are restrained from plying their auto rickshaws by the local toto and motor van drivers despite the fact that they possess permits issued by the Regional Transport Authority.

¶9

The petitioners lodged complaint in this regard before the police authority but no steps have been taken.

¶10

It appears from the report submitted by the State that enquiry was held pursuant to the complaint lodged by the petitioners and the police is vigilant and is continuing mobile patrolling and traffic management in the area.

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¶12

The report demonstrates rival contention of the groups with regard to grant of route permits and plying of the vehicles in the route.

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Upon consideration of the submission made on behalf of the parties, this Court is of the view that the issue pertains to the Regional Transport Authority which is the appropriate forum to decide the allegation raised by the petitioners. The petitioners are at liberty to approach the said authority for redressal of their grievance.

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In the meantime, the police shall continue surveillance in the area in order to avoid any untoward incident and shall ensure maintenance of law and order.

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The writ petition is accordingly disposed of.

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There shall, however, be no order as to costs.

¶17

Since no affidavit is invited, the allegations contained in the writ petition are deemed not to have been admitted.

¶18

Urgent certified website copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties upon compliance with all requisite formalities.

¶19

(Suvra Ghosh, J.)

Mahadeb Mandal and Ors. v. State of West Bengal and Ors.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Mahadeb Mandal and Ors. v. State of West Bengal and Ors.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Procedural history

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