In Brief
The Maharashtra Chess Association challenged a Bombay High Court decision that dismissed its writ petition on the ground that a clause in the Association's bylaws provided an alternate remedy. The Supreme Court held that while the High Court may exercise discretion to decline writ jurisdiction when suitable alternate remedies exist, a private agreement cannot oust the constitutional jurisdiction of the High Court under Article 226. The Court set aside the High Court's order and remitted the matter for reconsideration on the merits, noting that the High Court erred in treating a contractual clause as a binding jurisdictional bar.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.