Writ challenge to show cause notice was premature where objections remained to be filed before final decision.

A writ petition under Article 226 challenging a show cause notice was premature because the notice only sought objections and supporting documents before any final decision. The settled rule applied was that interference at this stage is ordinarily unavailable unless there is violation of fundamental rights, breach of natural justice, or a patent lack of jurisdiction or ultra vires action. As the petitioner still had an opportunity to respond and the authority had yet to decide the matter on merits, judicial intervention was declined and the respondent was allowed to proceed in accordance with law.

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Issues: Whether a writ petition under Article 226 is maintainable at the stage of challenge to a show cause notice calling for objections and documents.

Analysis: The notice merely called upon the petitioner to submit objections with supporting material before any final decision was taken. The settled rule applied was that a writ petition against such a notice is ordinarily not maintainable unless there is violation of fundamental rights, breach of natural justice, or a patent lack of jurisdiction or ultra vires action. Since the petitioner had not yet exhausted the opportunity to reply to the notice and the authority was still required to consider the objections and decide the matter in accordance with law, interference at that stage was unwarranted.

Conclusion: The challenge to the notice was held to be premature and not maintainable; the petitioner was left to submit objections and the respondent was permitted to proceed and pass orders on merits.

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