1 / 2 Ct. No.1 IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA Item No.D/L.34 CONSTITUTIONAL WRIT JURISDICTION Saikat APPELLATE SIDE Mukherjee WPA(P)/ 359 /202 6 SRIMANTA SHIT AND OTHERS ]… Petitioner Versus THE MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, (MD AND CEO) PUNJAB ]… Respondent Appearance: Ms. Pampa Dey (Dhabal) with Mr. Biswarup Chatterjee, Advocates for the Petitioners Mr. Ajit Kumar Mishra, A.G.P. with Mr. Madhu Jana, Jr. Govt. Adv., Mr. Gopal Krishna Sarkar and Ms. Puja Sonkar, Advocates for the Respondent-State Ms. Parna Roy Choudhury, Advocate for the PNB Bank CORAM : RAVINDRA V. GHUGE, CJ. & OM NARAYAN RAI, J. DATE : 29th September, 2026. 2 / 2 ORDER (Per Court) 1. The Petitioners are before this Court raising an issue that the Punjab National Bank, which has the Teparpara branch within the jurisdiction of Patashpur Police Station, District-Purba Medinipur, is shifting its branch elsewhere. 2. We are not inclined to entertain this Petition in the nature of a PIL, since there cannot be a direction to a bank to forcibly operate a branch at a particular place. These are commercial activities of the bank. Unless there is a mandate of law supported by any rule on the statute book, a Writ of Mandamus cannot be issued. This Petition is, therefore, dismissed. 3. It is a voluntary statement by the Learned Counsel for the Bank that the present branch is being shifted only 300 metres away. We do not have to express any opinion on this statement. (Om Narayan Rai, J.) (Ravindra V. Ghuge) Chief Justice