Dismissed¶40

P. Natarajapillai, v. The secretary

Madras HC5 Jun 2026WP/15837/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Madras High Court dismisses writ petition seeking mandamus for issue of Notary Public NOC by Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry: disciplinary proceedings pending in DCC No.9 of 2024 before Disciplinary Committee-II on complaint by C.Karunakaran; web-portal 'complaint pending' rejection of 16.03.2026 NOC application left unchallenged; liberty granted to seek expedited disciplinary enquiry. Keywords: Article 226, NOC, Notary Public, Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, W.P.No.15837 of 2026, dismissed.

What did the court decide?

Liberty granted to the petitioner to approach the respondent/Bar Council to expedite the pending disciplinary proceedings; no order as to costs. ¶40

P. Natarajapillai, Vs The secretary — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Liberty granted to the petitioner to approach the respondent/Bar Council to expedite the pending disciplinary proceedings; no order as to costs.

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Issue for consideration

Whether a writ of mandamus can be issued directing the respondent/Bar Council to issue the No Objection Certificate (NOC) in favour of the petitioner for appointment as Notary Public, while disciplinary proceedings are pending against him.

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Court's answer

In the absence of any challenge to the web-portal rejection of the NOC application ('complaint pending'), and with disciplinary proceedings admittedly pending against the petitioner before the Disciplinary Committee-II of the respondent/Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the relief sought - a direction to issue the NOC - cannot be entertained.

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Ratio / Principle

It is for the petitioner to approach the respondent/Bar Council seeking to expedite the pending disciplinary enquiry so as to bring it to its logical end.

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Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Writ petition (Article 226, Constitution of India) by an advocate (Enrolment No.MS.256/2012), provisionally selected for appointment as Notary Public by the Ministry of Law and Justice (list published 12.03.2026), seeking mandamus to the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to issue a No Objection Certificate based on representations dated 13.07.2024, 25.11.2025 and 16.03.2026. His online NOC application of 16.03.2026 was shown as denied on the web portal on the ground 'complaint pending'; disciplinary proceedings founded on a complaint by C.Karunakaran were pending in DCC No.9 of 2024 before Disciplinary Committee-II, and the portal rejection was not assailed by the petitioner. Held: with the disciplinary proceedings admittedly pending and no challenge to the rejection, the relief sought cannot be entertained; liberty granted to seek expedition of the disciplinary enquiry to bring it to its logical end. Writ petition dismissed; no order as to costs. (Order made by G.Arul Murugan, J.; Bench: Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari, CJ and G.Arul Murugan, J.)

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W.P.No.15837 of 2026

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

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DATED: 05.06.2026

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CORAM :

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THE HONOURABLE MR. SUSHRUT ARVIND DHARMADHIKARI, CHIEF JUSTICE AND

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THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE G.ARUL MURUGAN

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W.P.No.15837 of 2026

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P.Natarajapillai S/o.Shri Radhakrishnan Plot No.8006, TNHB Apartments New Sai Baba Temple Road Ayapakkam, Chennai 600 077 .. Petitioner

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The Secretary

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Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry High Court Campus Building High Court, Chennai 600 104

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.. Respondent

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PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking issuance of a writ of mandamus directing the respondent to issue the “No Objection Certificate” in favour of the petitioner Mr.P.Natarajapillai-Enrol No.MS.256/2012 based on the representations dated 13.07.2024, 25.11.2025 and on 16.03.2026.

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For Petitioner: Mr.V.Jaishankar for Mr.R.Nandakumar

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For Respondent(s): Mr.C.K.Chandrasekkar Standing Counsel

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__________ Page 1 of 6_

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

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W.P.No.15837 of 2026

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ORDER

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(Made by G.ARUL MURUGAN, J.)

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The writ petition is filed seeking for a direction to the respondent/Bar Council to issue No Objection Certificate (NOC) in favour of the petitioner for the purpose of being appointed as Notary Public.

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2.The petitioner is an advocate who enrolled in the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry with Enrolment No.MS.256/2012. It is stated that he is practising in combined courts at Ambattur and he has been elected as Vice President of the Bar Association during the period 2019-2021. It is further stated that he has already been assigned as “Commissioner of Oaths” by the learned Principal Judge, City Civil Court. He had also applied for Notary Public in the Ministry of Law and Justice - Central Government of India in the year 2020. He participated in the interview and got provisionally selected for appointment as Notary Public as per the list published by the Ministry on 12.03.2026.

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3.It is further stated that for submitting the required documents, the petitioner had applied for NOC to the respondent/Bar Council

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Page 2 of 6

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

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W.P.No.15837 of 2026

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through online on 16.03.2026 with the prescribed fees. However, in the web portal, it has been displayed as NOC denied on the ground that the complaint is pending. Even though the disciplinary proceedings were initiated earlier, it was abruptly stopped without any final order. Therefore, the petitioner had made a representation on several dates, but still NOC has not been issued.

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4.The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that though the petitioner has been selected for appointment as Notary Public, he is not in a position to submit the mandated documents, in view of the delay in issuing NOC. The NOC is denied on the ground of pending enquiry which was not proceeded with and, therefore, the Bar Council ought to issue the NOC without any further delay.

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5.Per contra, Mr.C.K.Chandrasekhar, learned Standing Counsel for the respondent/Bar Council submitted that disciplinary proceedings as against the petitioner is pending in DCC No.9 of 2024 before the Disciplinary Committee-II of the Bar Council. When the disciplinary proceedings is pending, NOC could not be issued, which had been displayed in the web portal itself, as admitted by the petitioner. Unless the disciplinary proceedings is concluded and orders are passed, the NOC cannot be issued.

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Page 3 of 6

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

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W.P.No.15837 of 2026

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6.Heard the submissions of the respective counsels and perused the materials available on record.

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7.The petitioner is enrolled as an Advocate in the respondent/ Bar Council with Enrolment No.256/2012 and is practising in the Combined Courts at Ambattur. Admittedly, based on a complaint lodged by one C.Karunakaran, disciplinary proceedings were initiated and the disciplinary proceedings is pending in DCC No.9 of 2024 before the Disciplinary Committee-II, Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Even though the petitioner had applied for issuance of NOC on 16.03.2026 with the prescribed fees, the same has been rejected on the ground “complaint pending” as divulged in the web portal of the respondent/Bar Council, which is not assailed by the petitioner.

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8.In the absence of any challenge and, admittedly, when the disciplinary proceedings as against the petitioner is pending before the Disciplinary Committee-II of the respondent/Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the relief sought by the petitioner to direct the respondent to issue NOC cannot be entertained. It is for the petitioner

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__________ Page 4 of 6_

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

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W.P.No.15837 of 2026

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to approach the respondent/Bar Council seeking to expedite the proceedings in the disciplinary enquiry to bring it to its logical end.

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9.Accordingly, granting liberty to the petitioner to approach the respondent/Bar Council to expedite the pending disciplinary proceedings, the writ petition stands dismissed. There shall be no order as to costs.

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(SUSHRUT ARVIND DHARMADHIKARI, CJ) (G.ARUL MURUGAN,J) 05.06.2026 Index : Yes/No Neutral Citation : Yes/No sri/gya

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The Secretary

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Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry High Court Campus Building High Court, Chennai 600 104

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Page 5 of 6

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

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