JUDGMENT :

Ashok Bhushan, J.

These appeals have been filed by the Union of India, Divisional Railway Manager, Northern Railway alongwith few other Railway Authorities challenging judgments of Delhi High Court by which writ petitions filed by the appellants have been dismissed. All the appeals raise similar questions of law and are based on almost identical facts. It shall be sufficient to note the facts of C.A. No.3938 of 2017 arising out of SLP (C) No. 23723 of 2015 in detail for appreciating the issues raised in this batch of appeals.

CA NO. 3938 2017 (ARISING OUT OF SLP(C) NO. 23723 OF 2015)

2. The respondents to the appeal were initially appointed as casual labour in the Northern Railway, after working for one or more years, they were granted temporary status and subsequently regularised against regular posts. For example, the Respondent No. 1 was engaged on casual basis from 27.06.1984 and w.e.f. 22.06.1985 he was granted temporary status. Subsequently, w.e.f. 31.12.1996 he was regularised against a post and has been working in such capacity at New Delhi Railway Station. Respondent No. 1 raised a grievance regarding granting him full service benefit from 22.06.1985 to 31.12.1996 i