Unanswered statutory representation over bank account attachment led to a time-bound direction for administrative consideration.

An unanswered statutory representation and legal notice concerning an alleged bank account attachment under the Customs Act were treated as the immediate grievance, and the substantive legality of the attachment and the status of the officers as proper officers was not finally decided. In those circumstances, the writ court disposed of the matter by directing timely administrative consideration instead of entering the merits. The first respondent was ordered to pass appropriate orders on the representation and legal notice within fifteen days, and the petitioner was given liberty to make additional submissions.

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Issues: Whether the writ petition should be disposed of by directing the first respondent to consider and reply to the petitioner's representation and legal notice concerning the alleged attachment of bank accounts under the Customs Act, 1962.

Analysis: The writ petition was moved in the background of an unanswered representation and legal notice. The competing submissions on the legality of the attachment and the status of the officers as proper officers were not finally adjudicated. The immediate grievance was that the petitioner's representation and legal notice had not received adequate attention, and it was also unclear on the record whether the attachment had been made at the instance of the respondents or by jurisdictional customs officers. In those circumstances, the appropriate course was to require a response from the first respondent.

Conclusion: The writ petition was disposed of with a direction to the first respondent to pass appropriate orders on the petitioner's representation and legal notice within fifteen days, with liberty to the petitioner to make additional submissions.

Final Conclusion: The matter was concluded by issuing a time-bound administrative direction, leaving the substantive controversy open for appropriate consideration by the respondent authority.

Ratio Decidendi: Where a statutory representation and legal notice remain unanswered and the factual basis for the grievance is unclear, the writ court may dispose of the matter by directing timely administrative consideration rather than deciding the merits.

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