Forum conveniens under the Depositors Protection Act leaves jurisdictional objections open before the designated Bombay High Court.

The Supreme Court upheld the Gujarat High Court's forum conveniens ruling and declined to interfere with the view that the designated Judge in the Bombay High Court was the more appropriate forum for matters arising under the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishment) Act, 1999. It also preserved the petitioners' right to contend before the Bombay High Court that they are not a financial establishment and to challenge the notifications dated 12.03.2015 and 22.06.2015 on jurisdictional grounds. Any merits observations made by the Gujarat High Court were held not to prejudice the petitioners or bind the Bombay High Court, which must decide the matter independently.

---

---

Outcome: The special leave petitions were dismissed after the Court declined to interfere with the High Court's order and left it open to the petitioners to pursue the jurisdictional challenge before the appropriate forum.

---