UNION OF INDIA vs AJIT KUMAR KHUNTIA

Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation

2026 Supreme(Ori) 663

ORISSA HIGH COURT
UNION OF INDIA – Appellant
Versus
AJIT KUMAR KHUNTIA – Respondent

Table of Content
1. background on compassionate appointment. (Para 1)
2. arguments against compassionate appointment claims. (Para 2)
3. respondent's defense of the learned single judge's decision. (Para 3)
4. discussion on compassionate appointment rationale in law. (Para 4)
5. mandate to implement court order. (Para 5)

JUDGMENT :

KRISHNA S. DIXIT, J.

We prelude this judgment with what George Orwell (1903- 1950) said “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to suffer violence on their behalf.” { George Orwell’s Essays, Notes on the Way, 1945. }

The 1^st respondent was a CRPF Police. Whilst in combat duty in Srinagar, he suffered acute physical disability because of bomb blast engineered by terrorists. This was on 23.01.2007. He was discharged from service on 07.03.2014. The 2^nd respondent happens to be his dependent wife. The request for her compassionate appointment having been turned down, vide order dated 18.06.2020, the couple filed W.P.(C) No. 26534 of 2020. The same came to be favoured by single judge, vide order dated 21.10.2024. Aggrieved thereby this Intra-Court appeal is filed by the Union Government & its officials.

2. Learned Senior Panel