SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2023 Supreme(Del) 4782

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, J.
Tarika – Appellant
Versus
Ashwani Kumar Kansal – Respondent
CONT.CAS(C) 347 of 2023 & CM 13400 of 2023
Decided On : 03-07-2023

Advocates appeared:
Mr Pankaj Kumar, Mr Munawar Waseem, Mr Sandeep Kumar Singh, Mr Sidharth, Mr Shubhendu Saxena and Mr Atul Agnihotri, Advocates, for the Petitioner.
Mr Shivendra Singh, Mr Bikram Dwivedi, Advocates, for the Respondent.

The court's decision emphasized that regularisation/absorption is not a mode of appointment and that the issuance of an advertisement shall attract talent and regularising/absorbing the petitioners without considering all eligible persons through a process open to the public shall violate Article 14.

Headnote:

Contempt Petition - Discontinuation of Services - W.P.(C) 5397/2022 - 07.04.2022 - 06.09.2022, 12.01.2023 - The court declined the relief of absorption and regularisation as prayed for by the petitioners in the said writ petition. However, the Court after taking note of the decision of the Supreme Court in University of Delhi & Ors. v. Delhi University Contract Employees Union & Ors., Civil Appeal No. 1007/2021 and 1008/2021 which was decided on 25.03.2021, issued a limited direction to the Respondents, therein to grant the benefit of age relaxation and each completed year of engagement by awarding certain marks, upto a ceiling limit so that the petitioners have some advantage over the outsiders.

Fact of the Case:

The Petitioner alleged that the Respondent wilfully disobeyed the court's order by discontinuing the Petitioner's services despite a previous order directing the continuation of services and providing benefits for completing each year of engagement.

Finding of the Court:

The Court found that the discontinuation of the Petitioner's services was not in violation of the previous court order and dismissed the petition. The Court also clarified that the dismissal would not prejudice the Petitioner's case if challenged before an appropriate authority.

Issues: Discontinuation of services, wilful disobedience of court order, applicability of previous court order, maintainability of the contempt petition.

Ratio Decidendi: The court declined the relief of absorption and regularisation as prayed for by the petitioners in the said writ petition. The Court also issued a limited direction to the Respondents to grant the benefit of age relaxation and each completed year of engagement by awarding certain marks, upto a ceiling limit.

Final Decision: The petition was dismissed, and the pending applications were disposed of as infructuous. The Court clarified that the dismissal would not prejudice the Petitioner's case if challenged before an appropriate authority.

JUDGMENT

Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, J. The present petition has been filed alleging that the Respondent has wilfully disobeyed the order dated 07.04.2022 passed by the Coordinate Bench of this Court in W.P.(C) 5397/2022 (`writ petition'), whereby, the Respondent was directed to continue with the services of the Petitioner and it was directed that as and when the Respondent decides to fill the posts of Technical Assistants (`TAs') through open selection, the original petitioners were to be given the benefit of age relaxation and certain marks for completing each year of engagement with the Respondent.

1.1. It is stated in this petition that the Petitioner is aggrieved by the office order dated 21.12.2022, which while extending services of the other TAs did not include the name of the Petitioner herein.

1.2. It is further stated that the Petitioner's representation dated 30.01.2023 made against the termination order dated 12.01.2023 has not been responded to till date.

2. The learned counsel for the Petitioner states that there were twenty-six (26) petitioners in the writ petition, however, the Respondent after the passing of this Court's order dated 07.04.2022 have selectively not extended the appointment of some of the original petitioners, including the Petitioner herein.

2.1. He states that the Petitioner's services have been discontinued vide termination order dated 12.01.2023, which is in violation of this Court's order dated 07.04.2022.

2.2. He states that the non-renewal/termination of the services of the Petitioner is a wilful and deliberate act of disobedience.

3. In response, the learned counsel for the Respondent states that the services of the Petitioner have been discontinued as the regular incumbent has joined the University i.e., Ambedkar, Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University at Shakarpur Campus-1, Delhi. In this regard, he relies upon the office order dated 12.01.2023, filed as Annexure P-6 to the present petition.

3.1. He states that the selection and recruitment process is not carried out by the Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (`DSEU') but it is carried out by the parent department i.e., the Directorate of Training and Technical Education (`DTTE'). He states that DTTE has not been made party to the present contempt petition.

3.2. He states that the continuation or extension of all the TAs, who were appointed on a contractual basis, was subject to the appointment of regular incumbent through direct recruitment.

3.3. He states that since the direct recruit has been appointed, the Petitioner's contractual services have been rightly terminated. He states that this is also in conformity with the terms and conditions of the TAs appointed on a contractual basis.

3.4. He states that extension of time given to the TAs, appointed on contractual basis was expressly subject to the position being filed by direct recruitment. In this regard, he relies upon the contents of the office order dated 06.09.2022.

3.5. He states that there has been no breach of this Court's order dated 07.04.2022 and the present petition is not maintainable.

4. This Court has considered the submissions of the parties and is unable to accept the contentions of the Petitioner.

5. The original petitioners in the writ petition had sought a substantive relief to the effect that they are entitled to absorption and regularisation from the date of the filing of the petition. The Coordinate Bench after recording the facts of the case categorically opined that since the original petitioners were appointed on a contractual basis, upon their failure to apply for regular selection, the writ petition itself deserved to be dismissed. The Court further held that their claim for regularisation is not maintainable. The relevant paragraph of the judgment dated 07.04.2022 reads as under:

    "10. Having heard the learned counsel for the parties, it is conceded by Mr. Kumar that the initial selection was through the process of walk-in-interview and th

Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top