Stalin Sk v. The Director of Handlooms
Mandamus – Public interest litigation – Cooperative society
Case brief
What is this about?
Madras High Court (Madurai Bench), WP(MD) No. 18367 of 2026, decided 15-07-2026, coram C.V. Karthikeyan J. (author) and R. Sakthivel J. Article 226 mandamus petition by S.K. Stalin seeking inquiry under Section 81 of the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Act, 1983 into irregularities and misappropriation in Sri Sudarsanam Handloom Weaving and Sales Cooperative Society, Madurai and recovery of loss from retired 5th respondent B.L. Kothandaraman. Held: PIL cannot be invoked to question an individual's service conditions; petitioner was a stranger to the society with no locus to trigger a Section 81 inquiry, which only the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, majority Board members/not less than 1/3 members, the financing Bank or the District Collector may initiate. Writ petition dismissed, no costs.
What did the court decide?
The writ petition, in effect questioning the service conditions of the 5th respondent (a retired employee drawing Rs.30,000/- as salary), cannot be maintained as a public interest litigation; PIL can never be invoked with respect to this particular jurisdiction.