BANDHUA MUKTI MORCHA vs UNION OF INDIA .

The Supreme Court held that a letter addressed to the Court on behalf of socially and economically weaker sections can be treated as a writ petition under Article 32(1) of the Constitution. The Court emphasized the need for public interest litigation to address violations of rights under social welfare legislations, including the Mines Act, 1952, and the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979. The Court ruled that the responsibility for ensuring benefits under these Acts lies with mine owners and the government, and that the burden of proof regarding bonded labour rests on the employer, thereby reinforcing the rights of workers in the mining sector.