Sri Satya Sonowal Vs the State of Assam — Gauhati HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Sri Satya Sonowal Vs the State of Assam — Gauhati HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Interlocutory application for impleadment allowed: the Additional Secretary to the Government of Assam (Environment & Forest Department), the Principal Chief Forest Conservator of Forest and Head of Forest Force, Assam, the Divisional Forest Officer, Kamrup East Division, and the District Commissioner, Kamrup (M), impleaded as party-respondent nos. 4-7; applicant-petitioner directed to file an amended cause-title in terms of Notification no. 79 dated 19.06.2023 within three working days, with the Registry to effect corrections in the cause-title of the writ petition and in the CIS.

Issue for consideration

Whether the proposed parties, namely (i) the Additional Secretary to the Government of Assam, Environment & Forest Department, Dispur; (ii) the Principal Chief Forest Conservator of Forest and Head of Forest Force, Assam, Panjabari; (iii) the Divisional Forest Officer, Kamrup East Division, Basistha; and (iv) the District Commissioner, Kamrup (M), Hengrabari, should be impleaded as party-respondent nos. 4-7 in the pending writ petition seeking an electricity connection.

Court's answer

The interlocutory application seeking impleadment of the Additional Secretary to the Government of Assam (Environment & Forest Department), the Principal Chief Forest Conservator of Forest and Head of Forest Force, Assam, the Divisional Forest Officer, Kamrup East Division, and the District Commissioner, Kamrup (M), as party-respondent nos. 4-7 is allowed.

Ratio / Principle

The learned counsel for the applicant-petitioner is to file an amended cause-title in terms of Notification no. 79 dated 19.06.2023 before the Registry within three working days, and on submission of the amended cause-title the Registry shall make the necessary corrections in the cause-title of the writ petition as well as in the CIS.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Gauhati High Court (Manish Choudhury, J.), order dated 06.03.2026 in I.A.(Civil)/302/2026 arising out of a writ petition by Satya Sonowal seeking an electricity connection: the interlocutory application for impleadment was allowed, there being no objection from the existing opposite parties. The Additional Secretary to the Government of Assam, Environment & Forest Department, Dispur; the Principal Chief Forest Conservator of Forest and Head of Forest Force, Assam, Panjabari; the Divisional Forest Officer, Kamrup East Division, Basistha; and the District Commissioner, Kamrup (M), Hengrabari, were impleaded as party-respondent nos. 4-7, their presence having transpired to be necessary for adjudication of the issue raised in the writ petition. The applicant-petitioner was directed to file an amended cause-title in terms of Notification no. 79 dated 19.06.2023 within three working days, whereupon the Registry was to make the necessary corrections in the cause-title of the writ petition and in the CIS.

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GAHC010276462025

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THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH)

Case No. : I.A.(Civil)/302/2026

SRI SATYA SONOWAL S/O- LATE PADMA SONOWALR/O- VILLAGE- KANCHAN NAGAR P.O.- HENGRABARI AND P.S.- DISPUR IN THE DISTRICT OF KAMRUPM ASSAM

VERSUS

THE STATE OF ASSAM REPRESENTED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE GOVT. OF ASSAM DISPUR GUWAHATI-06.

2:ASSAM POWER DISTRIBUTION CORPORATION LTD (APDCL) REPRESENTED BY ITS MANAGING DIRECTOR SIXMILE KAMRUPM ASSAM.

3:BASISTHA ELECTRICAL SUB DIVISION

ASSAM POWER DISTRIBUTION CORPORATION LTD.APDCL REPRESENTED BY ITS SUB-DIVISIONAL ENGINEER SIXMILE KAMRUPM ASSAM.

4:THE ADDITIONAL SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF ASSAM ENVIRONMENT AND FOREST DEPARTMENT DISPUR GUWAHATI-06.

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5:THE PRINCIPAL CHIEF FOREST CONSERVATOR OF FOREST AND HEAD OF FOREST FORCE ASSAM PANJABARI GUWAHATI-07.

6:THE DIVISIONAL FOREST OFFICER

KAMRUP EAT DIVISION BASISTHA GUWAHATI-29.

7:THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONER

KAMRUPM GUWAHATI HENGRABARI36 ASSAM -----------Advocate for : MR DEBA SARMAH Advocate for : GA ASSAM appearing for THE STATE OF ASSAM

BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE MANISH CHOUDHURY

ORDER

Date : 06.03.2026

Heard Mr. D. Sharma, learned counsel for the applicant; Ms. U. Das, learned Additional Senior Government Advocate, Assam for the opposite party no. 1; and Mr. B. Das, learned Standing Counsel, APDCL for the opposite party nos. 2 & 3.

The instant interlocutory application is preferred seeking impleadment of the following parties :-

‘[i] The Additional Secretary to the

Government of Assam,

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Environment & Forest Department,

Dispur, Guwahati-06;

[ii] The Principal Chief Forest Conservator Of Forest and Head of Forest Force, Assam, Panjabari, Guwahati-07;

[iii] The Divisional Forest Officer, Kamrup East Division, Basistha, Guwahati-29; and

[iv] The District Commissioner, Kamrup [M], Guwahati, Hengrabari-36, Assam.’

as party-respondent nos. 4 – 7 respectively.

The applicant-petitioner has preferred the accompanying writ petition seeking an electricity connection and in the course of the proceedings, it transpired that the presence of the proposed party-respondents would be necessary for adjudication of the issue raised in the writ petition.

The learned counsel appearing for the opposite parties have submitted in similar lines and have stated that they have no objection to the prayer for impleadment.

Accordingly, the instant interlocutory application stands allowed.

The learned counsel for the applicant-petitioner shall file an amended cause-title in terms of the Notification no. 79 dated 19.06.2023 before the Registry within 3 [three] working days from today and on submission of the amended Cause-Title, the Registry shall do the necessary corrections in the

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Cause-Title of the writ petition as well as in the CIS.

JUDGE

Comparing Assistant