Status quo order did not bar Customs Authorities from processing pending temporary CHA licence applications on merits.

The Supreme Court's status quo order was construed as preserving the factual position as on 8 August 1994, not as preventing Customs Authorities from examining pending applications for temporary CHA licence under Clause 8 of the Customs House Agents (Licensing) Regulation, 1984. On that construction, the statutory authority remained free to consider the applications on merits, and the record showed that such applications had in fact been taken up after the order. There was therefore no legal bar to directing the Customs Authorities to process and dispose of the applicants' requests in accordance with law.

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Issues: Whether the Customs Authorities were precluded by the Supreme Court's status quo order from considering the pending applications for grant of temporary CHA licence under Clause 8 of the Customs House Agents (Licensing) Regulation, 1984.

Analysis: The status quo order was understood as preserving the factual position as on 8 August 1994, but not as prohibiting the Customs Authorities from examining pending applications on merits. The record also showed that such applications had in fact been considered after that date, treating the status quo order as not disabling the statutory authority from proceeding. On that construction, there was no legal impediment to directing the Customs Authorities to process the writ petitioners' applications in accordance with law.

Conclusion: The Customs Authorities were not barred from considering the applications, and a direction to dispose of the petitioners' applications for temporary CHA licence under Clause 8 was warranted.

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