IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CWJC No.15132 of 2009 NARENDRA YADAV @ NARVDESHWAR YADAV, son of Sitaram Yadav, resident of village – Kotenarhawan. P.S. Gopalpur, District – Gopalganj. Versus 1. THE STATE OF BIHAR 2. The Collector, Gopalganj. 3. The Sub-divisional Certificate Officer, Gopalganj. 4. The District Transport Officer, Gopalganj. --------- For the petitioner: Mr. Ajay Mishra. For the State : Mr. Sanjay Kumar. -------- 03. 11.01.2010 Certificate Case No. 5 of 2009-10 was initiated by the Certificate Officer, Gopalganj against the petitioner for non-payment of road tax of a vehicle of which petitioner was alleged to be the owner. The petitioner tried to demonstrate before the Certificate Officer that all taxes stood paid and there was no outstandings against him. The certificate case dragged on for many a years because there was no response from the District Transport Officer, Gopalganj certifying deposit of tax by the petitioner. With the pleadings and evidence on record when the present writ application was filed this Court vide its order dated 12.11.2009 directed the District Transport Officer, Gopalganj to file show cause within four weeks or to appear in person before this Court. Counter affidavit now on behalf of the said District Transport Officer has been filed wherein a communication dated 11.12.2009 addressed to the Certificate Officer has been brought on record. Now recommendation has been made to the Certificate Officer to drop the certificate case in view of the road tax having been deposited by the petitioner from time to time. - 2 - Obviously because of bureaucratic lethargy or indifference petitioner has been harassed for no rhyme and reason and was even compelled to approach this Court seeking redressal because the transport authority did not have time to verify the records and certify the payment of road tax. In normal circumstances, the Court may have been tempted to compensate the petitioner by imposing certain cost against the State but in view of the stand taken in the show cause that the District Transport Officer is a new appointee to the post and he has responded to the direction of the Court at the shortest possible time, the Court shows its magnanimity in the matter with a caution that no such citizen should be harassed in such a fashion in future. With the letter No. 725 dated 11.12.2009 having been brought on record as Annexure-A, no purpose will be served by allowing continuance of certificate case in question any further. The writ application is allowed. All proceedings in Certificate Case No. 5 of 2009-10 stands quashed. rkp (Ajay Kumar Tripathi, J)