2013 Supreme(All) 951
ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
(Lucknow Bench)
BEFORE : RAJIV SHARMA AND ARVIND KUMAR TRIPATHI-II, JJ.
KAMLA SHANKER TRIPATHI AND ANOTHER .....Petitioners
Versus
STATE OF U.P. AND OTHERS .....Respondents
(Writ Petition No. 734 of 2012 (S/B), decided on 1st April, 2013)
Counsel :
Ramesh Pandey for the Petitioners; Manish Kumar and S.C. for the Respondents.
Headnote:U.P. Higher Judicial Service Rules, 1975—Rule 8(2)—Vacancie—Earmarked—Scope of appointment otherwise—Petitioner sought direction against respondents to consider his candidature for appointment to U.P. Higher Judicial Service—Recommendation made by Selection Committee resolved with respect to select list of General, O.B.C. and S.C. Candidates (direct recruits)—However, with regard to four other vacancies as determined and remained unfilled, petitioners submitted representation dated 11.9.2011, which was rejected—Submission of petitioners that in case all 14 vacancies which were determined for being given appointment as per the Committee’s report petitioners were also entitled for appointment—Committee has only re-determined the vacancy and recommended 14 persons to be appointed, however, no post available in the respective category—Since vacancies earmarked for General candidates and OBC candidates have been filled up, as such, there was no occasion to offer appointment to petitioners, who, admittedly, were below in rank of the selected candidates—Representation of petitioners rightly rejected. [Paras 14 to 35]
By the Court.—Rejoinder-affidavit to the supplementary counter-affidavit filed on behalf of respondents Nos. 2 and 3, is admitted on record.
2. Heard Sri Ramesh Pandey, learned Counsel for the petitioners, Sri Manish Kumar, Counsel for the respondent Nos. 2 and 3 and Standing Counsel for respondent No. 1.
3. Through the instant writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the petitioners have prayed for following reliefs :
“(i) to issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus commanding respondents to consider petitioners’ candidature for appointment as direct recruits from the Bar to U.P. Higher Judicial Service 2000 and further consider their posting as Additional District and Sessions Judge.
(ii) to issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus commanding respondents to consider petitioners’ candidature for appointment to U.P. Higher Judicial Service according to their merit of selection of recruitment to the U.P. Higher Judicial Service 2000.
(iii) to issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of certiorari quashing decision of respondents taken on petitioners’ representation dated 11.9.2011 after summoning the same.
(iv) to pass any other suitable order or direction which is deemed just and proper in the circumstances of the case.
(v) Allow the writ petition with costs.”
4. Draped in brevity, facts of the case are that for the recruitment year 1998-2000, High Court of Judicature at Allahabad published an advertisement for direct recruitment to 38 vacancies in U.P. Higher Judicial Service in the pay-scale of Rs. 16,400-20,000 plus admissible allowances. In the said advertisement, it was mentioned that out of 38 vacancies, 19 vacancies were for General Candidate, 8 vacancies for Schedule Caste Candidate, 1 vacancy for Schedule Tribe Candidate and 10 vacancies for Other Backward Class.
5. Pursuant to the said advertisement, petitioners alongwith other candidates applied for the post of U.P. Higher Judicial Service and on scrutiny of the forms, eligible candidates including petitioners were called for written examination, pursuant to which petitioners and others appeared in the written examination. The result of written examination was declared, in which, petitioners alongwith other candidates were declared successful and subsequently all such candidates were called for interview. Thereafter, the Selection Committee submitted its report dated 18.11.2004. The said report dated 18.11.2004 was placed before Full Court, which was held on 5.2.2005 as Agenda No. 3 (a) Re: Filling of Vacancies of U.P. Higher Judicial Service by direct H.J.S. Recruitment-2000. The Full Court, vide resolution dated 5.2.2005, resolved that the recommendation made by the Selection Committee with respect to select list of General, O.B.C. and S.C. Candidates (direct recruits) be approved and directed the Registrar General to declare the result and take follow up action without any delay as per report.
6. On the basis of the said resolution of Full Court dated 5.2.2005, final result was declared in the year 2005, in which name of petitioner No. 1-Kamla Shanker Tripathi was found at Serial No. 21 in General Category, whereas petitioner No. 2-Perwaiz Ahmad was at Serial No. 11 in OBC Category.
7. According to petitioners, in view of the judgment of this Court in writ petition No. 316 (S/B) of 2004, only 20 candidates (13 General Category, 6 Other Backward Classes and 1 Schedule Caste) were given appointments in the year 2005. The said judgment passed in writ petition No. 316 (S/B) of 2004 was challenged before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No. 1312 of 2005, which was decided on 13.9.2010 in Ashok Pal Singh and others v. U.P. Judicial Service Association and others, 2010 (12) SCC 635. According to him, on the direction of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Ashok Pal Singh (supra), Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Allahabad had constituted a Three Judges Committee to re-determine the