Petitioner sought removal of encroachments on a water tank survey number via a fresh writ petition despite an earlier writ petition covering the same land. The court held that non-compliance with the earlier direction should be pursued through contempt proceedings and closed the writ petition with liberty to file contempt.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
W.P(MD)No.1920 of 2026
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
DATED: 29.01.2026
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE G.R.SWAMINATHAN and THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE B.PUGALENDHI
W.P(MD)No.1920 of 2026
Chinna Karupan
... Petitioner
Vs.
W.P(MD)No.1920 of 2026
... Respondents
Prayer: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents 1 to 4 to remove the encroachments made by respondents 5 to 8 in Survey No.337 classified as “Pethankuli Water Tank” situated in Vathipatti Village, Natham Taluk, Dindigul District, within a time frame that this Court may deem fit.
For Petitioner : Mr.S.Prabhu For Respondents : Mr.C.Venkatesh Kumar Special Government Pleader for R.1 to R.4
ORDER
The petitioner herein had earlier filed W.P(MD)No.19805 of 2024
seeking removal of encroachments in a batch of survey numbers. The survey numbers which are the subject matter of the present writ petition were also included in the earlier writ petition. If according to the petitioner, the direction of this Court has not been properly complied with, the remedy open to him is to file a contempt petition. Filing a fresh writ petition on the same cause of action is not proper.
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W.P(MD)No.1920 of 2026
2.Granting liberty to the petitioner to file a contempt petition, this
Writ Petition is closed. No costs.
[G.R.S., J.] [B.P., J.] 29.01.2026
NCC : Yes / No Internet : Yes / No Index : Yes / No MGA
To
1.The District Collector, Dindigul District.
2.The Assistant Engineer, Public Works Department and Water Resource, Natham Taluk, Dindigul District.
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W.P(MD)No.1920 of 2026
G.R.SWAMINATHAN, J
and B.PUGALENDHI, J.
MGA
W.P(MD)No.1920 of 2026
29.01.2026
4/4
1 issue framed by the court
Should a fresh writ petition be entertained when an earlier writ petition covering the same survey numbers was filed and its compliance is in question?
1 provisions across 1 enactments
Chinna Karupan
The District Collector, Dindigul District
The Assistant Engineer, Public Works Department and Water Resource, Natham Taluk, Dindigul District
The Tahsildhar, Natham Taluk, Dindigul District
The Block Development Officer, Vathipatti Village Block, Natham Taluk, Dindigul District
Andisamy
G.R.Swaminathan
B.Pugalandhi
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
