Writ against show-cause notice: interim relief cannot stall statutory proceedings unless the notice is plainly without jurisdiction.

Writ jurisdiction should not ordinarily be invoked against a show-cause notice, because jurisdictional and factual objections can be raised before the issuing authority unless the notice is plainly without jurisdiction. Interim protection must not have the effect of granting final relief or freezing statutory proceedings without recorded reasons. The SC therefore permitted the statutory proceedings to continue and left the writ petition to be decided on merits, while preserving a limited restraint that the final order pursuant to the notice would not be communicated without leave or further orders of the High Court.

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Issues: Whether the High Court was justified in entertaining a writ petition challenging a show-cause notice and in granting interim protection that effectively stalled the statutory proceedings; and what consequential directions should follow.

Analysis: Writ jurisdiction is ordinarily not invoked at the stage of a show-cause notice unless the notice is wholly without jurisdiction. The person receiving the notice must ordinarily respond before the authority issuing it, since jurisdictional and factual objections can be raised in those proceedings. An interim order should not, by its effect, grant the final relief or denude the statutory authority of its power to proceed. Where such extraordinary interim protection is granted without recorded reasons, it is not proper to let the statutory process remain frozen. At the same time, the pending writ petition should be decided on merits in accordance with law.

Conclusion: The interim protection was not sustained in its broad effect, and the statutory proceedings were directed to continue. The appeal succeeded to that extent, with a limited restraint that the final order pursuant to the notice would not be communicated without leave or further orders of the High Court.

Final Conclusion: The Court permitted the enforcement proceedings to go on while preserving the High Court's control over communication of the final order, and left the writ petition to be decided on merits.

Ratio Decidendi: A writ petition challenging a show-cause notice should not ordinarily be entertained, and interim relief should not be granted in a manner that effectively pre-empts the statutory adjudicatory process unless the notice is plainly without jurisdiction.

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