Territorial jurisdiction in writ petitions depends on material cause of action; incidental business presence or financial loss is insufficient.

Territorial jurisdiction under Article 226 depends on whether a material part of the cause of action, meaning the bundle of facts necessary to succeed, arose within the court's territory. A writ challenge to a Central Government levy sugar price fixation order was held not maintainable where the impugned order was made in New Delhi and the levy sugar was to be sold and delivered at the mill gate in Bihar. The petitioners' head office, godown, shareholder residence, and alleged financial prejudice in West Bengal were only incidental and did not constitute material facts forming the cause of action.

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Issues: Whether any part of the cause of action arose within the territorial jurisdiction of the High Court so as to make the writ petition maintainable under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.

Analysis: The petition rested on the location of the petitioners' head office and godown in Calcutta, the residence of some shareholders in West Bengal, and alleged financial prejudice from the impugned levy sugar price fixation. The material challenge, however, was to an order made by the Central Government at New Delhi fixing the price of levy sugar under Section 3(3C) of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The levy sugar was required to be sold and delivered in Bihar at the mill gate in accordance with Central directions. The asserted financial loss to the company or shareholders did not form part of the bundle of facts required to establish the challenge to the order, and no material fact constituting the cause of action was shown to have arisen within West Bengal.

Conclusion: No part of the cause of action arose within the territorial limits of the High Court, and the writ petition was not maintainable.

Final Conclusion: The application was dismissed for want of territorial jurisdiction, leaving the petitioners free to seek relief before the appropriate forum.

Ratio Decidendi: For the purpose of Article 226(2) of the Constitution of India, territorial jurisdiction depends on whether a material part of the cause of action, meaning the bundle of facts necessary to succeed, arises within the court's territory; incidental business presence or possible financial prejudice is insufficient.

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