Allahabad High Court
SHARMAWATIversusMANAGING DIRECTOR MD PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK AND 3 OTHERS
- Decided
- Bench
- DINESH PATHAK
Holding
The court disposed of the writ petition without adjudicating its merits, directing the petitioner to approach the branch manager for a fresh representation.
Summary
The petitioner, Sharmawati, filed a writ petition seeking a mandamus directing Punjab National Bank to correct a clerical error in her name and to release her family pension following her husband's death. The bank argued that the grievance should be addressed by the branch manager and expressed willingness to comply if the court directed a fresh representation. The court noted that the matter could be more appropriately resolved at the branch level and that keeping the writ pending would serve no useful purpose. Consequently, the court disposed of the petition without addressing its merits, granting the petitioner liberty to file a fresh representation before the branch manager within three weeks, with a further deadline of two months for decision. The order was issued on May 5, 2026, by Justice Dinesh Pathak of the Allahabad High Court.
Issues considered
- Whether the High Court can issue a mandamus directing the bank to correct the petitioner’s name and release the family pension, or whether the petitioner must first approach the bank’s branch manager for redress.
Subjects
- family pension
- clerical mistake
- mandamus
- writ petition
- banking
- administrative remedy
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
WRIT - A No. - 6664 of 2026
Sharmawati
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
Managing Director Md Punjab National Bank And 3 Others
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Akshay Tripathi, Avanish Tripathi
Counsel for Respondent(s) : Dharmendra Vaish
Court No. - 33
HON'BLE DINESH PATHAK, J.
1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner, learned Standing Counsel
representing State-respondents and perused the record on Board.
2. This writ petition has been filed, inter alia, seeking the following reliefs:
" (i) Issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus
commanding and directing the respondent's bank forthwith to correct the
clerical mistake in the petitioner's name (where "Saraswati" has been
erroneously recorded instead of "Sharmawati") and, upon such
correction, to ensure the immediate release of entire family pension etc.
in favour of the petitioner, within stipulated period fixed by the Hon'ble
Court. In this regard, representation dated 26.11.2025, 30.01.2026 and
19.03.2026 has been pending till date before the respondent No. 2, 3 and
4."
3. It is submitted that the husband of the petitioner attained the age of
superannuation on 30.04.2008 from the post of a Class III employee and
subsequently died on 19.09.2024. Thereafter, the petitioner applied for
family pension. However, certain clarification was sought from the
petitioner regarding her name and its correct spelling. Since then, the matter
relating to grant of family pension has not been decided till date on account
of the said clarification, whereas petitioners has furnished requisite
information.
4. Learned counsel for the bank has contended that the grievance of the
present petitioner can more appropriately be redressed by the Branch
Manager, Punjab National Bank, Branch Kalpi Road, Fajalganj, Kanpur
Nagar, (respondent no. 4) and he has no objection if a direction is issued for
WRIA No. 6664 of 2026
2
expeditious disposal of a fresh representation, to be moved by the present
petitioner, within such stipulated period, as may be directed by this Court.
5. In this conspectus, as above, no useful purpose would be served by
keeping this matter pending, therefore, this Court deems it appropriate to
finally dispose of the present writ petition, without making any observation
on the merits of the case, with liberty to the present petitioner to move a
fresh representation before the Branch Manager, Punjab National
Bank, Branch Kalpi Road, Fajalganj, Kanpur Nagar, (respondent no. 4) to
ventilate his grievances, as raised in this petition, within a period of three
weeks from today, along with a certified copy of this order and a self
attested copy of the instant writ petition, who, in turn, shall consider and
decide the same in accordance with law expeditiously, preferably, within a
period of two months from the date of production of the same, if there is no
any other legal impediment.
6. With the aforesaid observation, present writ petition is disposed of.
May 5, 2026
vkg
(Dinesh Pathak,J.)
Digitally signed by :-
VINOD KUMAR GOSWAMI
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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