1994 Supreme(Pat) 270
PATNA HIGH COURT
S.N.Jha and Narayan Roy JJ.
Kamal Ranjan
Versus
State Of Bihar
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No. 10278 of 1993 ;
Decided On : AUGUST 9, 1994
Headnote:Constitution of India, Article 226 & 227-appointment on compassionate ground-petitioner, adopted son of the Govt. employee recommended by District Compassionate Appointment Committee was not appointed inspite of the direction of the District Magistrate and the High Court also directed to reconsider his case in earlier writ petition-appointment denied on the basis of circular dated 15.10.1991 whereby prohibition was made not to appoint adopted son-claim of the petitioner governed by circular of 1977-provisions of Hindu Adoption Act can not be superseded-however caution given to make enquiry in such cased with respect to genuineness of the claim-authorities directed to make appointment-1993(1) PLJR 413 ref.
(Paras 5, 6, 7 & 8)
Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956, section 12-the provision confers upon the adopted child the same rights and privileges in the adoptive family as the legitimate natural born son or daughter for all purposes.
(Para 4)
S. N. Jha, J.
1. The question involved in this writ application is whether an adopted son of the deceased Government servant dying in harness in the state of Bihar is entitled to appointment on compassionate ground.
2. The facts of the case lie in a narrow compass. One Chamela Devi, employed as Ward Attendant at Dinara state Dispensary in the district of rohtas, died while in service on 7-9 78 According to the petitioner, she being issueless had adopted him as her son in the year 1960, when he was seven years old, as per the Hindu custom and law with the consent of her husband, since dead. Upon the death of Chamela Devi, the petitioner submitted application for his appointment on compassionate ground on 8-11-78. The application was duly recommended for consideration by the district Compassionate Appointment Committee He was called for interview. According to the petitioner, he was found fit for appointment by the committee and accordingly, by memo No.1049 dated 30-10-8 the District magistrate, Rohtas directed the Civil Surgeon to appoint him. However, the order of appointment was not issued. The petitioner in the circumstance came to this Court in C. W. J. C. No.4390 of 1991. The writ petition was opposed by the respondents, inter alia, on the ground that the petitioner being adopted son of Chamela Devi is not entitled to appointment on compassionate ground in view of the circular of the State Government. This court by its order dated 22-4-92 did not accept the said plea and directed the authority to re-consider the case of the petitioner and issue appropriate order for his appointment on compassionate ground if he is otherwise found fit. The Compassionate Appointment Committee considered the matter and rejected the application on 19-9-92 on the same very ground; that is. appoint ment of an adopted son on compassionate ground is not permissible under the circular of the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department dated 15-10-91. The present application was initially filed for initiating contempt proceeding against concerned officers. It was later converted into an application under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution on 15-9-93.
3. No counter affidavit has been filed on behalf of the respondents. Government Pleader No.1 however, has raiterated the plea regarding impermissibility of appointment of the petitioner on compassionate ground.
4. Section 12 of the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956 provides complete answer to the question. The section in its material part reads as follows :-
"an adopted child shall be deemed to be the child of his or her adoptive father or mother for all purposes with effect from the date of the adoption and from such date all the ties of the child in the family of his or her birth shall be deemed to be severed and replaced by those created by the adopted in the adoptive family. "
The provision confers upon the adopted child the sama rights and privileges in the adoptive family as the legitimate natural born son or daughter for all purposes The primary and principal result of the adoption is that the adopted boy or girl ges transferred from his or her natural family into the adoptive family for all intents and purposes. All ties in the family or his or her birth are severed and replaced by those created by adoption in the adoptive family. It is well settled that where the statute enacts that something shall be deemed to exist or to have happened or some status shall be deemed to have been lost or acquired on the happening of something, which would not otherwise have been so, effect must be given to the statutory fiction and it must be carried to its logical conclusion In such a case, fully effect must be given to the putative state of affairs and the status deemed to have been acquired or lost, as also to all the inevitable corollaries of the state of affairs or altered status, unless there is something in the statute which prohibits the legal fiction from being implied with its