Patna High Court

Manoj SoniversusThe Union of India

Decided: 27 February 2026
Disposal: CONVERTED
Bench: ANIL KUMAR SINHA

Holding

The court held that the petitioner may convert the civil writ into a criminal writ and granted a one‑week period after the Holi holidays to do so.

Summary

Manoj Soni filed a civil writ petition in the Patna High Court against the Union of India and several Bihar officials. The petitioner sought to convert the civil writ into a criminal writ. The court considered whether such a conversion was permissible and whether time should be granted for the conversion. No detailed reasoning was recorded in the oral order. The court granted the petitioner a period of one week after the Holi holidays to effect the conversion.

Issues considered

Whether the petitioner may convert the civil writ petition into a criminal writ
Whether the court should grant time for the conversion

Subjects

civil writ
criminal writ
conversion of petition
procedural law
High Court

Judgment

                       IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                                 Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.988 of 2026
                   ======================================================
                   Manoj Soni Son of Lakkhi Kishor Soni, Resident of 95, G.T. Road, Golabari,
                   Howrah, West Bengal-711106

                                                                       ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                    Versus
             1.    The Union of India Through the Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs,
                   Government of India, North Block, New Delhi-110001.
             2.    State of Bihar Through the Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, Patna
                   800015.
             3.    Inspector General of Police Rail Police Headquarters, Patna, Bihar.
             4.    Superintendent of Police (Railways) Rail Police Line, Lodipur, Chajju Bagh,
                   Patna, Bihar- 800001.
             5.    The Station House Officer, Government Railway Police Station, Gaya,
                   District - Gaya, Bihar.
             6.    The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department
                   (CID), Bihar, Sardar Patel Bhawan, Bailey Road, Patna 800023, District -
                   Patna, State of Bihar

                                                             ... ... Respondent/s
                   ======================================================
                   Appearance :
                   For the Petitioner/s   :       Mr.Bijendra Kumar Singh
                   For the Respondent/s   :       Mr.Additional Solicitor General
                   For the UOI            :       Mr. Sanat Kumar Mishra, CGC
                   ======================================================
                   CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL KUMAR SINHA
                                         ORAL ORDER

2     27-02-2026                  Time till one week after Holi holidays is granted to

                     the petitioner to convert the present civil writ application into

                     criminal writ.



                                              (Anil Kumar Sinha, J)
praful/-

U

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