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S.Jagadeesan Vs the District Registrar — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2025)

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Madras HC
2025
S.Jagadeesan Vs the District RegistrarS.Jagadeesan v. the District Registrar

Allowed¶30

S.Jagadeesan v. the District Registrar

Madras HC15 Jul 2025WP/21455/2023

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Document writer licence cancellation; demonstration/protest against Registration Department officials; Tamil Nadu Document Writers' License Rules, 1982 - grounds for cancellation limited to professional misconduct or violation of conditions; freedom of speech/expression, Article 19(1)(a); writ of certiorari under Article 226; District Registrar (Audit & Administration), Tiruppur; coordination committee office bearers' licences cancelled; W.P. No. 21455 of 2023; W.M.P. No. 20838 of 2023; Madras High Court; order dated 15.07.2025; N. Anand Venkatesh, J.; petitioner S. Jagadeesan; counsel A. Pramila; AGP Stalin Abhimanyu.

What did the court decide?

The proceedings of the first respondent dated 27.06.2023 cancelling the petitioner's document writer licence were quashed; writ petition allowed with no costs; connected miscellaneous petition (W.M.P. No. 20838 of 2023) closed.

Why is it important?

Under the Tamil Nadu Document Writers' License Rules, 1982, a licence can be cancelled only for professional misconduct or violation of conditions of the document writers; here, only permission was sought for a demonstration, no demonstration took place, yet the licence was cancelled, and the very reason for cancellation goes against the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India. ¶28

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

The proceedings of the first respondent dated 27.06.2023 cancelling the petitioner's document writer licence were quashed; writ petition allowed with no costs; connected miscellaneous petition (W.M.P. No. 20838 of 2023) closed.

Issue for consideration

Whether a demonstration proposed to be conducted by document writers could be a ground to cancel their document writer licence.

Court's answer

Under the Tamil Nadu Document Writers' License Rules, 1982, a licence can be cancelled only for professional misconduct or violation of conditions of the document writers; here, only permission was sought for a demonstration, no demonstration took place, yet the licence was cancelled, and the very reason for cancellation goes against the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India.

Ratio / Principle

The impugned proceedings of the first respondent dated 27.06.2023 are illegal on the face of it and liable to be quashed.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Madras High Court (N. Anand Venkatesh, J.) allowed a writ petition under Article 226 and quashed proceedings No.3500/E/2023-1 dated 27.06.2023 of the District Registrar (Audit & Administration), Tiruppur, cancelling the petitioner S. Jagadeesan's document writer licence. The cancellation had been triggered by a demonstration that document writers planned against the conduct of certain Registration Department officials; permission alone was sought and no demonstration actually took place. Holding that under the Tamil Nadu Document Writers' License Rules, 1982 a licence can be cancelled only for professional misconduct or violation of conditions, the Court found that the reason for cancellation offended the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India, declared the impugned proceedings illegal on its face, quashed them, allowed the petition with no costs, and closed the connected miscellaneous petition.

A

W.P. No. 21455 of 2023

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED : 15.07.2025

CORAM

THE HON'BLE Mr. JUSTICE N.ANAND VENKATESH

W.P. No. 21455 of 2023 and

W.M.P. No. 20838 of 2023

S.Jagadeesan … Petitioner

-vs-

The District Registrar (Audit & Administration) (Additional Charge), Tiruppur Tiruppur District, Tiruppur.

Lingeswaran District Registrar (Audit & Administration) (Additional Charge), Tiruppur Tiruppur District, Tiruppur.

... Respondents

Prayer:- Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India,

1950, praying to issue a Writ of Certiorari, calling for the records of the impugned order dated 27.06.2023 passed in No.3500/E/2023-1 on the file of

the first respondent herein, quash the same.

For Petitioner : M/s.A.Pramila For Respondents : Mr.Stalin Abhimanyu, AGP (R1) R2 – Sd-No appearance

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

W.P. No. 21455 of 2023

O R D E R

This writ petition has been filed challenging the proceedings of the first respondent dated 27.06.2023 wherein the first respondent has proceeded to cancel the document writer license issued to the petitioner.

2.Heard M/s.A.Pramila, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr.Stalin Abhimanyu, learned Additional Government Pleader for the first respondent and perused the materials placed on record, apart from the pleadings of the parties.

On carefully going through the impugned proceedings of the first respondent, it is seen that the cause of action for initiating the proceeding was as a result of a demonstration that was planned to be conducted by the document writers against the conduct of some of the officials belonging to the Registration Department. It is also seen that the office bearers of the coordination committee have been chosen and their licenses have been cancelled.

The short question that arises for consideration is as to whether such demonstration proposed to be conducted by the document writers could be a ground to cancel their license.

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

W.P. No. 21455 of 2023

The Tamil Nadu Document Writers' License Rules, 1982, deals with the scenario where such licence can be cancelled. Only where there is a professional misconduct or there is a violation of conditions of the document writers, such cancellation of license can take place. In the case on hand, only permission was sought for conducting the demonstration and ultimately, no demonstration took place and even then, the document writer license that was issued to the petitioner came to be cancelled. The very reason for which license has been cancelled goes against the fundamental rights that has been guaranteed under Article 19(1)-A of the Constitution of India under.

The impugned proceedings of the first respondent dated 27.06.2023 is illegal on the face of it and it is liable to be quashed.

In the result, the proceedings of the first respondent is quashed and this

writ petition stands allowed. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous

petition is closed.

15.07.2025 Index: Yes/No 1/2 Internet: Yes/No Speaking /Non-speaking order NCC : Yes / No

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

W.P. No. 21455 of 2023

Maya

N.ANAND VENKATESH, J.

Maya

To

The District Registrar (Audit & Administration) (Additional Charge), Tiruppur Tiruppur District, Tiruppur.

W.P. No. 21455 of 2023

Dated : 15.07.2025

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

Issues for consideration

1 issue framed by the court

AI extract

1.
Whether a demonstration proposed to be conducted by document writers could be a ground to cancel their document writer licence.¶24
The court held
Under the Tamil Nadu Document Writers' License Rules, 1982, a licence can be cancelled only for professional misconduct or violation of conditions of the document writers; here, only permission was sought for a demonstration, no demonstration took place, yet the licence was cancelled, and the very reason for cancellation goes against the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India.ratio¶28

Statutes considered

3 provisions across 2 enactments

AI extract

Constitution of IndiaArticle 226¶13 Article 19(1)(a)¶28
Tamil Nadu Document Writers' License Rules, 1982The Tamil Nadu Document Writers' License Rules, 1982¶28

Procedural history

How this case reached the court

AI extract

Order under challenge
Proceedings No.3500/E/2023-1 dated 27.06.2023 passed by the first respondent cancelling the document writer licence issued to the petitioner.¶21
District Registrar (Audit & Administration) (Additional Charge), Tiruppur (first respondent) · 27.06.2023

Parties & counsel

AI extract

petitioner
S.Jagadeesan¶8
A.Pramila
respondent
The District Registrar (Audit & Administration) (Additional Charge), Tiruppur Tiruppur District, Tiruppur¶10
Stalin Abhimanyu
respondent
Lingeswaran District Registrar (Audit & Administration) (Additional Charge), Tiruppur Tiruppur District, Tiruppur¶11

Coram

AI extract

N.ANAND VENKATESHauthor¶5

Case details

As recorded by the court registry

Court: Madras HC
Decided on: 15 Jul 2025 · July
Registered: 18 Jul 2023
Case no.: WP/21455/2023
CNR: HCMA011275702023
Topic: Writ and Judicial Review
Bench: N. Anand Venkatesh
Disposal: ALLOWED
Case type: W.P.

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Cite this judgement

S.Jagadeesan v. the District Registrar, WP/21455/2023 (MAD), decided on 15 July 2025.

The Madras High Court publishes no neutral citation for this judgement — cite it by case number and date of decision.

Statutes3

Constitution of IndiaArticle 226 · Article 19(1)(a)
Tamil Nadu Document Writers' License Rules, 1982The Tamil Nadu Document Writers' License Rules, 1982

View all statutes

Procedural history1

Proceedings No.3500/E/2023-1 dated 27.06.2023 passed by the first respondent cancelling the document writer licence issued to the petitioner.District Registrar (Audit & Administration) (Additional Charge), Tiruppur (first respondent) · 27.06.2023

View full history

Bench / Coram

N.ANAND VENKATESH

Parties & counsel