Ritu Dindayal Vs State of Tamil Nadu — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2026)

Ritu Dindayal Vs State of Tamil Nadu — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Writ petition disposed of on the basis of recorded submissions: annual value revised downward after institution of the petition and any excess amount remitted by the petitioner to be adjusted against future CMWSSB dues, to which the petitioner had no objection; the distraint notice was not quashed; connected miscellaneous petition closed; no order as to costs.

Issue for consideration

Whether the distraint notice dated 26.09.2021 issued by the fourth respondent, and all proceedings pursuant thereto, should be quashed as illegal, arbitrary and in violation of the principles of natural justice.

Court's answer

The Court recorded the CMWSSB standing counsel's submission that the annual value of the petitioner's property has been revised downward after the writ petition was instituted, that any excess amount remitted by the petitioner would be adjusted against future dues, and the petitioner's counsel's statement that she has no objection to such adjustment.

Ratio / Principle

By recording those submissions, the Court disposed of the writ petition without adjudicating the merits of the challenge to the distraint notice.

Key takeaways

The connected miscellaneous petition (W.M.P. No.8731 of 2022) was closed consequentially and there shall be no order as to costs.ratio¶38

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

MADRAS HIGH COURT (Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, J.), W.P.No.8895 of 2022 and W.M.P. No.8731 of 2022, decided 02.01.2026 — Miss Ritu Dinadayal v. State of Tamil Nadu and others. Petition under Article 226 of The Constitution of India for a writ of certiorari to quash a distraint notice dated 26.09.2021 issued by the fourth respondent (Assistant Engineer, New Area 10 Office) and all proceedings pursuant thereto, as illegal, arbitrary and in violation of the principles of natural justice. The Court did not adjudicate the merits: recording the CMWSSB standing counsel's submission that the annual value of the petitioner's property had been revised downward after the petition was instituted and that any excess amount remitted would be adjusted against future dues — to which the petitioner's counsel raised no objection — the writ petition was disposed of, the connected miscellaneous petition was closed, and there was no order as to costs.

W.P.No.8895 of 2022

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 02.01.2026

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE SENTHILKUMAR RAMAMOORTHY

W.P.No.8895 of 2022 and

W.M.P. No.8731 of 2022

Miss Ritu Dinadayal

.. Petitioner

vs

1.State of Tamil Nadu

represented by Secretary to Government, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Secretariat,

Fort St. George,

Chennai – 600 010.

2.The Commissioner, Greater Chennai Municipal Corporation, Rippon Buildings,

Chennai – 600 003.

3.The Chairman cum Managing Director, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board,

No.1, Pumping Station Road,

Chennai – 600 002.

4.Assistant Engineer,

New Area 10 Office, No.9, Muthukrishnan Street, Chennai – 600 017.

.. Respondents

Petition filed under Article 226 of The Constitution of India

praying for the issuance of a writ of certiorari to call for the records

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W.P.No.8895 of 2022 of the fourth respondent comprised in the impugned distraint notice dated 26.09.2021 and all proceedings pursuant thereto and quash the same as illegal, arbitrary and in violation of the principles of natural justice.

For Petitioner : Mr.Prahalad K.Bhat For Respondents : Mr.P.Sathish, Additional Government Pleader for R1 Mr.E.C.Ramesh for R2 Mr.Gautam S.Raman for R3 and R4

ORDER

A distraint notice dated 26.09.2021 is impugned in this writ petition.

Learned standing counsel for Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) submits that annual value of the petitioner’s property has been revised downward after the writ petition was instituted. Any excess amount remitted by the petitioner would be adjusted against future dues of the petitioner.

Learned counsel for the petitioner has no objection to the

CMWSSB making adjustments as indicated above.

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W.P.No.8895 of 2022

By recording this submission, this writ petition is disposed

of. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed. There shall be no order as to costs.

02.01.2026

Index:Yes/No Neutral Citation:Yes/No mmi

To

1.The Secretary to Government,

Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Secretariat, Fort St. George,

Chennai – 600 010.

2.The Commissioner, Greater Chennai Municipal Corporation, Rippon Buildings, Chennai – 600 003.

3.The Chairman cum Managing Director, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board,

No.1, Pumping Station Road, Chennai – 600 002.

4.The Assistant Engineer, New Area 10 Office, No.9, Muthukrishnan Street, Chennai – 600 017.

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W.P.No.8895 of 2022

SENTHILKUMAR RAMAMOORTHY,J.

mmi

W.P.No.8895 of 2022

02.01.2026

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