HC dismisses PIL challenging Kanyakumari beekeepers’ society loan resolution

Madurai: A public interest litigation ought to be filed seeking assistance in bringing to order any aspect that directly affects the public at large, and it cannot be resorted when there is a private grievance or to wreak vengeance, Madras high court has observed.The court made the observation while dismissing a public interest litigation filed by Sathrak seeking to quash a resolution passed by the Marthandam Beekeepers Cooperative Society in Vilavancode taluk in Kanyakumari district, dated June 20, 2026, relating to the repayment of the ICDP loan from the society’s exchequer.A division bench of Justice C V Karthikeyan and Justice R Sakthivel observed that the petition was filed ostensibly as a public interest litigation.

When a specific relief is sought relating to a particular society, more particularly with respect to a specific resolution passed by that society, the writ can never be termed as a public interest litigation. The petitioner does not claim to be a member of the society. It is not known why he insists on interfering with the affairs of the society.

As a matter of fact, he had filed an earlier petition and the same was dismissed by a single judge of the court.

The present petition appears to be a cut and paste copy of the earlier petition.The judges observed that the court is not inclined to examine even the nature of the resolution passed, particularly because Section 81 of the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Act, 1983, provides a statutory relief for enquiries and investigations into the affairs of any society.“When there is a specific statutory procedure available, it is only appropriate that such procedure is followed. A public interest litigation cannot be filed to put into effect any procedure unless it is shown that the authority has deliberately failed to follow the said procedure. That is not the grievance raised in the present case,” the judges said and dismissed the petition.