S.Veeramani v. The Managing Director

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 12.01.2024

CORAM

THE HON'BLE Mr. JUSTICE R.SURESH KUMAR AND THE HON'BLE Mr. JUSTICE K.KUMARESH BABU S.Veeramani ... Appellant Vs.

1.The Managing Director, Repco Bank, Head Office, No.33, North Usman Road, T.Nagar, Chennai - 600 017.

2.The Chief General Manager, Repco Bank, Head Office, No.33, North Usman Road, T. Nagar, Chennai - 600 017.

3.The General Manager (Admin) Repco Bank, Head Office, No.33, North Usman Road, T.Nagar, Chennai - 600 017.

4.The Joint General Manager, Liaison Officer for SC/ST Employees, Repco Bank, Head Office, No.33, North Usman Road, T.Nagar, Chennai - 600 017.

5.The Regional Director, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, 2nd Floor, Block - 5, Shastri Bhavan, Chennai - 600 006.

... Respondents 1/6

Prayer : Appeal filed under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent Act, praying to set aside the order dated 21.03.2019 made in W.P.No.25755 of 2018. For Appellant : Mr.Radhakrishnan S.

For Respondents : Mr.A.Illangovan for R1

JUDGMENT

(Judgment of the Court was delivered by R.SURESH KUMAR, J.) This writ appeal has been directed against the order dated 21.03.2019 made in W.P.No.25755 of 2018.

2. The writ petitioner in fact had sought for certain information by way of representation made on 29.08.2018 from the respondents Bank viz. Repco Bank. In order to consider the said representation dated 29.08.2018 and to pass orders by seeking a writ of mandamus, the said writ petition was filed, that was rejected by the learned Judge, as against which, the present appeal has been directed.

3. Heard Mr.S.Radhakrishnan, learned counsel for the appellant and Mr.A.Illangovan, learned counsel for the 1st respondent. 2/6

4. The learned counsel for the 1st respondent has submitted that, in fact the information that has been sought for by the writ petitioner/ appellant through the representation dated 29.08.2018 has already been uploaded in the website of the respondent Bank, therefore there has been no need to seek for any such information once again by way of representation.

5. Be that as it may, by recording the said statement, we also feel that, insofar as the said request made by the petitioner to get some more documents with regard to the adoption of the reservation policy especially for giving promotion to the candidates belongs to SC/ST in the Bank is concerned, such kind of information can very well be obtained by the writ petitioner/appellant by making an application under the Right to Information Act.

6. When that being the position, this writ petition need not have been filed by the petitioner/appellant, therefore to that extent we feel that, by giving a liberty to the writ appellant to seek whatever information he is wanting from the respondent under RTI Act, this writ appeal can be disposed of.

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7. In the result, the following orders are passed in this writ appeal. That the order passed by the learned Judge need not be interfered with, therefore the writ appeal is to be dismissed accordingly is dismissed. However, this dismissal of writ appeal will not preclude the writ appellant from seeking any information as he desires under the RTI Act and if any such application is made in the manner known to law or under the provisions of the said Act, the same shall be decided and disposed in accordance with the provisions of the RTI Act by the respondent Bank.

8. With this observation, this writ appeal is dismissed. However, there shall be no order as to costs.

[R.S.K., J.] [K.B., J.] 12.01.2024 Index : Yes/No Speaking Order : Yes/No Sgl To 4/6

1.The Managing Director, Repco Bank, Head Office, No.33, North Usman Road, T.Nagar, Chennai - 600 017.

2.The Chief General Manager, Repco Bank, Head Office, No.33, North Usman Road, T. Nagar, Chennai - 600 017.

3.The General Manager (Admin) Repco Bank, Head Office, No.33, North Usman Road, T.Nagar, Chennai - 600 017.

4.The Joint General Manager, Liaison Officer for SC/ST Employees, Repco Bank, Head Office, No.33, North Usman Road, T.Nagar, Chennai - 600 017.

5.The Regional Director, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, 2nd Floor, Block - 5, Shastri Bhavan, Chennai - 600 006.

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R. SURESH KUMAR, J.

and K.KUMARESH BABU, J.

Sgl 12.01.2024 6/6