Writ Petition Became Infructuous After Collector’s Proceedings, With Liberty to Challenge Them

The petitioners sought a writ of mandamus to restrain the authorities from granting residential pattas to respondents 10–59 over land in T.S. Nos. 3522/1 and 5091, which they alleged was earmarked as Vagampuli Road.

They asked the Court to consider their representations dated 19, 21 and 22 August 2025.

While the writ petition was pending, the District Collector, Theni, issued proceedings dated 10 December 2025.

1. Whether the petitioners’ request for a mandamus remained live after the District Collector issued proceedings concerning the matter.

2. Whether the petitioners should be left to challenge those proceedings through the appropriate legal process if they remained aggrieved.

The petition was brought under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.

The Court cited no specific statute, precedent, or substantive legal doctrine in disposing of it.

It applied the procedural principle that where subsequent events render the relief sought infructuous, the writ petition may be closed, while leaving an aggrieved party at liberty to challenge the subsequent proceedings in the manner known to law.

The Court treated the District Collector’s proceedings dated 10 December 2025 as having rendered the petitioners’ original request for prospective restraint infructuous.

It did not examine the merits of the patta issue or determine whether the land was a road; instead, it preserved the petitioners’ ability to challenge the Collector’s proceedings through an appropriate legal remedy.

It granted the petitioners liberty to challenge the District Collector’s proceedings in the manner known to law, and closed the petition without costs. The connected miscellaneous petition was also closed.