NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO. 10922 OF 2017

[@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (C) NO. 24779 OF 2016]

THE KARNATAKA HOUSING BOARD APPELLANT(S)                                 VERSUS

M/S ANCHOR LINES PVT LTD RESPONDENT(S) WITH  

CONTEMPT PETITION (C) NO.1519/2017

J U D G M E N T KURIAN, J.

Leave granted. 2. The appellant is before this Court, aggrieved by an interim order passed by the High Court wherein a direction was issued for deposit of certain amount. The High Court has also taken note of the fact that there were other connected writ petitions as well. When  the  matter  came  up  before  this  Court,  the following order was passed on 19.09.2016:-

“We are not issuing notice as the sole respondent,  claiming  as  such,  has  already appeared on caveat.  The matter requires some detailed  consideration,  hence  let  it  be listed  on  a  non-miscellaneous  day  in  the third week of November, 2016.

Pleadings, if any, may be completed in the meantime.

Till  the  next  date  of  hearing,  no coercive action shall be taken against the

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petitioner.”

3. The  said  interim  order  has  been  subsequently extended  until  further  orders,  by  our  order  dated 4.5.2017. 4. Having regard to the fact that the appellant is before this Court only against an interim order and having regard also to the fact that there are other matters which the High Court has connected with the present case, we are of the view that it is only appropriate that the High Court takes a final call on all the matters.   5. Therefore,  this  appeal  is  disposed  of  with  a request  to  the  High  Court  to  dispose  of  all  the matters  referred to  in the  impugned order  and any other  connected  matter,  expeditiously,  preferably within  a  period  of  six  months  from  the  date  of communication of a copy of this judgment by any of the parties.  Till such time the writ petitions are disposed of, interim order passed by this Court will continue to operate. 6. However,  we  make  it  clear  that  in  case  the appellant enters into any transaction in respect of the property in dispute, the same shall be subject to the outcome of the writ petitions in the High Court and it shall be so made clear in the proceedings, though  Mr.  Shyam  Divan,  learned  senior  counsel appearing for the appellant, submits that there is no property involved in the case. 7. Contempt Petition No.1519/2017 is taken on Board. 8. In view of the order passed above, no separate orders  are  required  to  be  passed  in  the  contempt petition, which is, accordingly, disposed of.

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9. Pending  applications,  if  any,  shall  stand disposed of. 10. There shall be no orders as to costs.

.......................J.               [KURIAN JOSEPH]  

.......................J.               [R. BANUMATHI]  

NEW DELHI; AUGUST 25, 2017.

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