In a significant development at the Manipur High Court on October 1, 2025, Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh allowed two petitioners to withdraw their writ petition challenging eviction orders. The matter was heard in Court No.1 at Imphal where the arguments became intense over the legality of the eviction orders issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer, Lamphel, Imphal West.
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Background
The case stems from two eviction proceedings-Eviction Case Nos. 20 and 21 of 2025-under the Manipur Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1978. The Sub-Divisional Officer passed orders on September 23, 2025 to remove the petitioners, Nongmeikappam (N) Moirangthem (O) Shantibala Devi and another, from their patta land. The petitioners alleged they had been given no chance to be heard before the orders were passed.
Their lawyer, Mrs. G. Pushpa, told the court that a previous interim order dated August 7, 2025 in an earlier writ petition (WP(C) No. 595 of 2025) had already protected their possession, directing authorities not to demolish or evict them without due process. Despite that, the impugned orders of September 23 appeared to override the interim protection, she argued.
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Court’s Observations
During the hearing, the State, represented by Deputy Advocate General Mr. H. Debendra and his team, countered that the petitioners had approached the High Court directly without first filing a statutory appeal under Section 6 of the Act. “There is a clear provision for appeal. Without exhausting that remedy, the writ is not maintainable,” the State’s counsel submitted.
Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh appeared inclined to agree that the proper course would be to first appeal. He noted that the petitioners were still covered by the earlier interim order but also observed the importance of following the procedure laid down by law. “It will be in the interest of justice,” the bench remarked, “to allow withdrawal of the writ so that the petitioners may file an appeal before the competent authority.”
Mrs. Pushpa pressed for interim protection, requesting at least ten days to file the appeal. She said, “The eviction orders were passed behind our back. We only need some breathing space to approach the appellate authority.”
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Decision
After hearing both sides, the court issued a brief but clear order:
- The petitioners are permitted to withdraw their writ petition with liberty to file an appeal within ten days against the September 23 eviction orders.
- Until the appeal is filed within that period, the respondents are restrained from carrying out eviction.
- The appellate authority has been directed to consider any interim relief based purely on the merits of the case and without being influenced by the High Court’s order of October 1.
With those directions, the High Court disposed of the writ petition, effectively pausing the eviction process and opening a window for the petitioners to challenge the orders through the proper legal channel.
Case: Nongmeikappam (N) Moirangthem (O) Shantibala Devi & Anr. vs. State of Manipur & Others
Case Number: WP(C) No. 784 of 2025
Date of Order: 1 October 2025