Belated tribunal order and natural justice breach justified writ interference despite alternate remedy, with remand for fresh consideration.

An order pronounced after an undisputed inordinate delay was treated as vitiated for breach of natural justice, so the HC quashed it without examining the substantive appeal grounds and remanded the matter to the Tribunal for fresh consideration. The Court also held that the alternate remedy objection did not bar writ interference where the impugned order was flawed on account of delayed pronouncement and resulting procedural unfairness. The dispute was therefore sent back for reconsideration by the Tribunal after hearing all points raised in the appeal.

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Issues: (i) Whether the Tribunal's order, delivered belatedly, warranted quashing and remand for fresh consideration; (ii) whether the availability of an alternate remedy barred writ interference.

Issue (i): Whether the Tribunal's order, delivered belatedly, warranted quashing and remand for fresh consideration.

Analysis: The order under challenge was found to have been pronounced after an inordinate delay, and the delay was not disputed. In view of that undisputed belated delivery, the Court treated the order as vitiated and did not enter into the merits of the appeal grounds. The matter was required to be reconsidered afresh by the Tribunal after hearing all points raised in the appeal.

Conclusion: The impugned order was quashed and the matter was remanded to the Tribunal for fresh consideration.

Issue (ii): Whether the availability of an alternate remedy barred writ interference.

Analysis: The plea of alternate remedy was declined in the facts of the case, as the impugned order was considered flawed on account of delay in pronouncement and violation of natural justice.

Conclusion: The writ petition was entertained notwithstanding the alternate remedy objection.

Final Conclusion: The petition succeeded, the Tribunal's order was set aside, and the dispute was sent back for fresh adjudication by the Tribunal.

Ratio Decidendi: An order delivered after an unexplained and undisputed belated delay, causing a violation of natural justice, can be quashed in writ jurisdiction despite the availability of an alternate remedy, and the matter may be remanded for fresh decision.

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