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Nellai Mavatta Nellai Santhippu Mungupathi Railway Board v. The District Collector

Madras HC18 Dec 2025WP(MD)/4593/2020

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Madurai Bench of Madras High Court; W.P(MD) No.4593 of 2020; Article 226; writ of mandamus; regulation of bus stop near Arasan Bakery, Tirunelveli Junction; auto drivers' labour welfare union; no fundamental right to exclude buses from railway junction premises; route permit condition for buses entering junction; Smart City Project new bus stand; licence fee Rs.4,000/- per six months; writ petition disposed of recording counter-affidavit stand; no costs; decided 18.12.2025 by G.R.Swaminathan, J. and R.Kalaimathi, J.

What did the court decide?

The petitioner has no fundamental right to insist that buses should not be allowed to enter the junction premises. ¶42

Nellai Mavatta Nellai Santhippu Mungupathi Railway… — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2025)

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W.P(MD) No.4593 of 2020

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BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT

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Date : 18.12.2025

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CORAM

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THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE G.R.SWAMINATHAN AND THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE R.KALAIMATHI

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W.P(MD) No.4593 of 2020 & M.P.(MD)Nos.3946 & 3947 of 2020

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Nellai Mavatta Nellai Santhippu Munpaguthi Railway Board,

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Recognized Auto Driver's Labour Welfare Union, Rep. by its Secretary, 2-A, Shiamalammal Sannathi Street, Meenakshipuram, Tirunelveli. ... Petitioner

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Vs.

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1.The District Collector, Tirunelveli District, Tirunelveli.

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2.The Divisional Manager, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Vannarpettai, Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli.

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3.The Regional Transport Officer, N.G.O-B Colony, Tirunelveli.

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1/8

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

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W.P(MD) No.4593 of 2020

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4.The Deputy Station Master, Southern Railway, Tirunelveli.

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5.The Commissioner of Police, Tirunelveli District, Tirunelveli.

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6.The Inspector of Police, Traffic Police Station, Tirunelveli Junction, Tirunelveli.

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... Respondents

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PRAYER: Writ Petition filed Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying this Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus, to direct the respondents 1 to 3 to regulate the stopping of buses in the permitted temporary Bus Stop ie., near Arasan Bakery at Tirunelveli Junction and also direct the respondents 5 and 6 to take action against the violators of the drivers and conductors of the buses within the time fixed by this Court.

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For Petitioner : Mr.H.Arumugam

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For Respondents : Mr.M.Siddharthan Additional Government Pleader for R1 & R3 : Mr.R.Rajamohan for R2 : Mr.K.Govindarajan CGSI for R4 : Mr.K.Gnanasekaran Government Advocate (Crl.side) for R5 & R6

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2/8

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

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W.P(MD) No.4593 of 2020

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ORDER

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(Order of the Court was made by G.R.SWAMINATHAN, J.)

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Heard both sides.

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The writ petitioner is an association of auto drivers who are operating from Tirunelveli Railway Junction. This writ petition was filed in March 2020. During the relevant time, the new bus stand was under construction. It appears that the buses were stopping near Arasan Bakery at Tirunelveli Junction and this was affecting the business of the members of the petitioner association. It is not in dispute that the new bus stand has been fully constructed under the Smart City Project and therefore, the position that obtained in March 2020 may no longer be prevalent. Be that as it may, the core grievance of the petitioner appears to be that the buses should not be allowed to enter the junction premises.

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The petitioner's counsel states that each driver is paying a sum of Rs.4,000/- for every six months towards license fee and that therefore, the buses should not be allowed to enter the junction premises.

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3/8

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

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W.P(MD) No.4593 of 2020

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This contention may not be sound. As rightly pointed by

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learned DSGI and the learned Additional Government Pleader as well as the learned Standing Counsel for the corporation, the choice should be left to the passenger to choose his or her mode of service. It is also stated that only those buses with appropriate route permit are permitted to enter the junction premises and not all the buses. This position is made clear in the counter affidavit filed by the Inspector of Police, Junction Traffic Circle, Tirunelvi City. Paragraph Nos.5 to 8 of the counter affidavit filed by the sixth respondent read as follows:-

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

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W.P(MD) No.4593 of 2020

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5/8

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

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W.P(MD) No.4593 of 2020

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The petitioner has no fundamental right to insist that buses should not be allowed to enter the junction premises.

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6. Recording the stand taken by the sixth respondent in the counter affidavit, the writ petition is disposed of. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions are closed.

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(G.R.S., J.) (R.K.M., J.) 18.12.2025

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Index : Yes / No Internet : Yes / No NCC : Yes / No rmi

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

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W.P(MD) No.4593 of 2020

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