UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS vs OSWAL WOOLLEN MILLS LTD. AND OTHERS

The Supreme Court vacated an ex-parte interim order issued by the Calcutta High Court under Clause 8-B of the Import Control Order, 1955, which restrained the Union of India from filing a criminal complaint against the respondent-firm. The Court held that writ petitions should not be filed in distant High Courts to avoid delays in legal proceedings, and emphasized that interim orders against statutory actions must be justified by stronger grounds of public interest. The Court ruled that notice should be issued to the respondents for a timely hearing, thereby quashing the contempt rule against the Department officials.