IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE C.T.RAVIKUMAR THURSDAY, THE 28TH JANUARY 2010 / 8TH MAGHA 1931 WP(C).No. 2397 of 2010(Y) ------------------------- PETITIONER(S): --------------- N.VISHNU NAMBOOTHIRI, 'SANTHI', KOZHINJANELLOOR, DEVI TEMPLE, CHETTIKULANGARA GROUP, KANNAMANGALAM NORTH, MAVELIKKARA. BY ADV. SRI.S.KRISHNAMOORTHY RESPONDENT(S): --------------- 1. TRAVANCORE DEVASWOM BOARD REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY, NANDANCODE, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 2. DEVASWOM COMMISSIONER, O/O.TRAVANCORE DEVASWOM BOARD, NANDANCODE, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 3. ASSISTANT DEVASWOM COMMISSIONER, TRAVANCORE DEVASWOM BOARD, MAVELIKKARA. 4. DEPUTY DEVASWOM COMMISSIONER, TRAVANCORE DEVASWOM BOARD, HARIPPAD. ADV. SRI.P.G.PARAMESWARA PANICKER, SENIOR ADVOCATE FOR R1-4 SRI.P.GOPAL FOR R1-4 THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 28/01/2010, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: C.T. RAVIKUMAR, J. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - W.P. (C) No. 2397 OF 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dated this the 28th day of January, 2010 J U D G M E N T The petitioner is a Santhi in the Kozhinjanelloor Devi Temple under the Chettikulangara Group of the Travancore Devaswom Board. He is placed under transfer as per Ext.P2 order. This writ petition has been filed challenging the same. It is a settled position that this Court can interfere with an order of transfer, only if it is shown to have issued in violation of any statutory provision or is vitiated by malafides. The petitioner is not attributing malfides in this case, as is evident from grounds 'a' to 'e' in the writ petition. The core contention of the petitioner is that the transfer is punitive in nature. It is also contended that he did not commit any insubordination. Though the learned counsel for the petitioner initially insisted for a decision on merits, after arguing for sometime, changed the stand and restricted the submission and sought for a direction to the 3rd respondent to dispose of Ext.P3 appeal within a time frame. Accordingly, this writ petition is WPC.2397 OF 2010 : 2 : disposed of with a direction to the first respondent to consider Ext.P3 appeal and pass orders thereon within a period of one month from the date of receipt of copy of this judgment. (C.T. RAVIKUMAR, JUDGE) jma