P a g e 1 | 4 Item No. 25 - 26 IN THE HIGH COURT OF MANIPUR AT IMPHAL MC(PIL) No. 3 of 2026 Ahanthem Irabot Singh … Applicant - Versus - State of Manipur & 9 Ors. … Respondents WITH PIL No. 18 of 2025 B E F O R E HON’BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. M. SUNDAR HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE A. BIMOL SINGH O R D E R [M. Sundar, CJ] 26.02.2026 [1] This common consent order will now dispose of captioned matter i.e., Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and captioned miscellaneous case (MC) thereat. [2] In the hearing today, Mr. Kh. Tarunkumar, learned senior advocate instructed by Mr. Rustam, learned counsel on record for PIL petitioner; Mr. Phungyo Zingkhei, learned State counsel for R – 1 to R - 8 and Mr. Anjan Prasad Sahu, learned counsel for R – 9 and R- 10 (private respondents) are before this Court. [3] When the captioned matter was listed on 19.02.2026, this Court made proceedings in captioned MC, which reads as follows: KHOIROM BIPINCHAN DRA SINGH Digitally signed by KHOIROM BIPINCHANDRA SINGH Date: 2026.02.26 18:32:13 +05'30' P a g e 2 | 4 ‘[1] In the hearing today, Mr. Kh. Tarunkumar, learned senior advocate appearing on behalf of Mr. W. Jamon, learned counsel on record for the lone PIL petitioner, Mr. Phungyo Zingkhai, learned State Counsel led by Mr. Athouba Khaidem, learned senior advocate for R1 to R8 (official respondents) and Mr. Anjan Prasad Sahu, learned counsel for R9 and R10 (private respondents) are before this Court. [2] When the matter was taken up, it came to light from the pleadings and submissions that both sides place strong/substantial reliance on ‘Original Suit No. 142 of 2014’ on the file of the learned ‘Civil Judge Senior Division, Imphal East’ (‘said civil suit’ and ‘said civil court’ both for the sake of convenience and clarity). This Court is informed by both sides that this Original Suit was earlier Original Suit No. 37 of 2014. It was renumbered and assigned the number Original Suit No. 142 of 2014. This Court is also informed that R9 and R10 in captioned PIL are plaintiffs in the said civil suit and the lone PIL petitioner is first defendant in the suit. It also comes to light that the Hon’ble Single Judge (Writ Court) has made a common order dated 18.01.2022 being a common order in 3 (three) writ petitions viz., WP(C) No. 151 of 2008, WP(C) No. 857 of 2014 and WP(C) No. 124 of 2015. The PIL petitioner comes across as R6 in one of the writ petitions (WP(C) No. 151 of 2008). In this common order, there is inter-alia a direction to the parties to maintain status quo and await verdict from said civil court in the said civil court. This Court is informed that the said civil suit was dismissed for default on 27.03.2025 and subsequently, at the instance of plaintiffs’ (Judl. Misc. Case No. 128 of 2025) the said civil suit has been resuscitated i.e., restored vide order dated 08.09.2025 and a scanned reproduction of this order as can be ferreted out from the ECourts Services portal is as follows : P a g e 3 | 4 [3] In the aforesaid scenario, neither the PIL petitioner nor R9 and R10 who are parties to the said in said civil court have annexed a copy of the plaint and other pleadings (if any). This Court was willing to peruse a copy of the plaint and other pleadings (if any) if copies can be furnished across the Board in the hearing but learned counsel on both sides i.e., PIL petitioner, learned counsel for R9 and R10 and the State Counsel (to be noted, State is also party to said suit in said civil court) sought time to produce plaint and other pleadings (if any). [4] Afore-referred joint/common request acceded to. [5] List on Tuesday. [6] List on 24.02.2026.’ P a g e 4 | 4 [4] Adverting to afore-referred proceedings, learned counsel for R – 9 and R -10 submits that he is ready with a compilation containing pleadings and other particulars in the said Civil Suit in said Civil Court. [5] However, all the afore-referred counsel namely, learned counsel for PIL petitioner led by senior advocate, learned State counsel for R – 1 to R – 8 and learned counsel for R – 9 and R – 10 (private respondents) submit in one voice that the issue can be relegated to Civil Court for being decided in the said Civil Suit which is now pending in the said Civil Court. (To be noted, short forms, abbreviations and short references used in 19.02.2026 proceedings continue to be used in the instant order also.) [6] Therefore, captioned PIL and MC thereat are disposed of as closed by writing that all questions including questions raised in the captioned PIL and MC thereat are left open for being decided in Original Suit No. 142 of 2014 on the file of Civil Judge, Senior Division, Imphal East. The said Civil Court shall decide the suit and return a verdict as expeditiously as the official business of the Civil Court would permit. [7] All the parties before this Court submit that they will cooperate for early disposal of the Civil Suit. [8] Captioned PIL and captioned MC thereat disposed of as closed in the aforesaid manner albeit with aforementioned observation. There shall be no order as to costs. JUDGE CHIEF JUSTICE FR/NFR Bipin