Chhattisgarh High CourtEnvironmental LawAdministrative and Public Law

Public interest litigation dismissed as infructuous after the petitioner conceded that the relief had become moot.

RAMBILAS JAISWALv.STATE OF CHHATTISGARH

Public interest litigation dismissed as infructuous after the petitioner conceded that the relief had become moot.. RAMBILAS JAISWAL vs STATE OF CHHATTISGARH. Chhattisgarh High Court. LawLens
The LawLens card for this judgmentXLinkedInWhatsApp

In brief

The question

Whether the Public Interest Litigation seeking directions against alleged illegal sand extraction, irregularities in transit passes, seizure of vehicles, and inquiry into alleged improper charges had become infructuous.

The court held

The Court accepted the petitioner’s submission that the Public Interest Litigation had become infructuous and dismissed WPPIL No. 93 of 2022 accordingly.

It also directed

No directions were issued regarding sand extraction, transit-pass verification, vehicle seizure, or inquiry into alleged improper fines and charges.

01Facts

The petitioner filed a Public Interest Litigation concerning alleged illegal extraction and storage of sand in Chhattisgarh.

¶ 2

He sought directions to restrain mine-lease holders and sand-storage permit holders from extracting sand beyond their allotted areas, verify the quantity of sand available in the relevant khasra numbers, scrutinize and compare transit passes, seize vehicles allegedly used for unauthorized extraction, and inquire into alleged improper levy of fines and charges in overloading cases.

¶ 2

The petition was heard by the Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice and another Judge.

¶ 3

During hearing, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that the petition had become infructuous.

¶ 3

02Issues

i.Whether the Public Interest Litigation seeking directions against alleged illegal sand extraction, irregularities in transit passes, seizure of vehicles, and inquiry into alleged improper charges had become infructuous.

¶ 2–3

ii.Whether any further relief or directions were required from the Court in view of the petitioner’s submission that the petition had become infructuous.

¶ 3–4

03Law Applied

The Court applied the procedural principle that a writ petition which has become infructuous does not require adjudication on the merits and may be dismissed accordingly.

¶ 3–4

No specific statutory provision or judicial precedent was cited or relied upon in the order; the decision was based on the petitioner’s statement that the reliefs sought no longer survived for consideration.

¶ 3–4

04Reasoning

The reliefs claimed in the petition related to supervision and enforcement against alleged unauthorized sand extraction and related administrative irregularities.

¶ 2

However, the petitioner’s counsel expressly informed the Court that the petition had become infructuous.

¶ 3

In the absence of any surviving controversy requiring adjudication, the Court declined to examine the allegations or issue the requested administrative and enforcement directions.

¶ 4

The petition was therefore disposed of on the ground of infructuousness rather than on the merits.

¶ 4

05Holding

The Court accepted the petitioner’s submission that the Public Interest Litigation had become infructuous and dismissed WPPIL No. 93 of 2022 accordingly.

¶ 4

No directions were issued regarding sand extraction, transit-pass verification, vehicle seizure, or inquiry into alleged improper fines and charges.

¶ 4
Chhattisgarh High Court

Original Court PDF

RAMBILAS JAISWALvsSTATE OF CHHATTISGARH

Chhattisgarh High Court · September 03, 2026

Click to open original judgment

Original judgment, available to read, download and summarize on LawLens.in

Click to open original judgment