1 CGHC010259492026 2026:CGHC:32441 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPC No. 3793 of 2026 1 - Manish Dewangan S/o Harikishan Dewangan Aged About 39 Years R/o House No. 1267/26, Purana Mangan Bazar, Gudiyari Near Babla Atta Chakki, Raipur, Tehsil And District- Raipur, Chhattisgarh. ... Petitioner(s) versus 1 - Punjab National Bank Through It Branch Manager, Circle Sastra, Plot No. 46 Sector 24, Atal Nagar (Naya Raipur), Raipur, Chhattisgarh. ... Respondent(s) (Cause title is downloaded from CIS Periphery.) For Petitioner : Mr. Pranjal Agrawal, Advocate. For Respondent : Mr. Sharad Mishra, Advocate. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad Order on Board 28/07/2026 1. The petitioner has filed the instant petition seeking following reliefs:- “10.1 That, to Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction, more particularly in the nature of Mandamus, directing the Respondent Bank to forthwith refund the RAVVA UTTEJ KUMAR RAJU Digitally signed by RAVVA UTTEJ KUMAR RAJU Date: 2026.07.30 19:20:39 +0530 2 amount of Rs. 18,38,500/- (Rupees Eighteen Lakhs Thirty-Eight Thousand Five Hundred only) deposited by the Petitioner towards 25% of the bid amount/Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) pursuant to the e-auction conducted on 18.06.2025 along with 18% per annum from 18.06.2025 till the release of the amount to the Petition. 10.2. Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction declaring the action of the Respondent Bank in withholding and retaining the Petitioner's amount of Rs. 18,38,500/- for more than one year without any authority of law as arbitrary, illegal, unconstitutional and violative of Articles 14 and 300-A of the Constitution of India, and consequently quash the said action. 10.3. That, to Direct the Respondent Bank to pay interest on the aforesaid amount from the date of its deposit till the date of actual refund, at such rate as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case, in order to compensate the Petitioner for the wrongful and unauthorized retention of his money. 10.4. Award costs of the present writ petition in favour of the Petitioner and against the Respondents. 10.5. Pass any other or further writ, order or direction which this Hon'ble Court may deem fit, proper and expedient in the interest of justice.” 2. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the present petition has been instituted seeking a direction to the respondent Bank to refund forthwith the amount of Rs. 18,38,500/-, deposited by the petitioner towards 25% of the bid amount pursuant to the e-auction held on 18.06.2025, together with interest thereon. 3. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the respondent, Punjab National Bank, submitted that the Bank has, in principle, agreed to 3 refund the earnest money amounting to Rs. 18,38,500/- within a period of 30 days. 4. Having heard learned counsel for the parties and upon considering the submissions advanced and in view of the statement made on behalf of the respondent Bank that it has, in principle, agreed to refund the amount of Rs. 18,38,500/-, being the earnest money deposited by the petitioner, within a period of 30 days, no useful purpose would be served by keeping the present writ petition pending. Accordingly, in the interest of justice, the respondent Bank is directed to refund the sum of Rs. 18,38,500/- to the petitioner within a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of copy of this order. In the event the aforesaid amount is not refunded within the stipulated period, the petitioner shall be entitled to interest at the rate of 6% per annum from the expiry of the said period until the date of actual payment. 5. With this observation and direction, the petition stands disposed of. Sd/- (Amitendra Kishore Prasad) Judge U.K. Raju