Court of Chief Justice P. B. Bajanthri imposes cost of Rs. 5,000, directs its deposit in Lawyers’ Association Welfare Benevolent Fund, Patna

In Tuliya Devi vs. The State of Bihar through the Principal Secretary, Department of Education, Government of Bihar & Ors. (2025), Patna High Court's Division Bench of Chief Justice P. B. Bajanthri and Justice Alok Kumar Sinha delivered a 4-page long judgement dated September 23, 2025, wherein, it concluded:''....it is crystal clear that there is a distance of about 40 to 50 meters from the temple to Centralized Mid-Day Meal Kitchen in Ward No. 24, Ruidhasa, Block-Kishanganj, P.S & District – Kishanganj. Taking note of the distance, we are satisfied that the petitioner has not made out a case so as to issue a writ of mandamus or directing the concerned authorities to stall the Centralized Mid-Day Meal Kitchen construction. Accordingly, the instant Writ petition stands dismissed with cost of Rs. 5,000/- (Rs. Five Thousand). Cost shall be remitted in the Lawyers’ Association Welfare Benevolent Fund, Patna bearing Account No. 7801893276, IFSC Code – IDIB0001501, within a period of eight weeks.'' The judgement was authored by the Chief Justice. This is the 7th judgement authored by Justice Bajanthri as chief justice. 

The other nine respondents were: Director, the Mid Day Meal, Government of Bihar, District Magistrate, Kishanganj, District Programme Officer, (Mid Day Meal), Block Development Officer, Block-Kishanganj, Kishanganj, Executive Officer, Nagar Parishad, Kishanganj, Kishanganj, Jan Chetna Jagriti Avom Shaikshanik Vikas Manch, New Delhi, Virendra Kumar, Kishanganj, Smt. Abha Devi, Kishanganj and Vikki Kumar, Kishanganj. 

The petitioner had prayed for the issuance of appropriate Writ/Writs, Order/Orders, Direction/Directions in the nature of Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writs directing and commanding the Respondent Authorities to stop the construction of the Centralized Mid-Day Meal Kitchen in Ward No. 24, Ruidhasa, Block-Kishanganj, P.S & District – Kishanganj. She had prayed for issuance of appropriate Writ/Writs, Order/Orders, Direction/Directions in the nature of Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ directing and commanding the Respondent Authorities to conduct a public hearing and environmental assessment before proceeding with said the project. The petitioner had also prayed for issuance of appropriate Writ/Writs, Order/Orders, Direction/Directions in the nature of Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ directing and commanding the Respondent Authorities to identify and shift the project to a more suitable location.