IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
Mohammad Rafiq, CJ, and Vijay Kumar Shukla, J.
Atul Kumar Ben & Another v. Union of India & Others
Miscellaneous Petition No. 3494 of 2020 (Jabalpur);
Decided on 13.8.2021
1) Delay -- any undeserved or unfair advantage gained by party invoking jurisdiction of Court must be neutralized -- institution of litigation cannot be permitted to confer any advantage on party by delayed action of Court. (2010) 9 SCC 437 followed. [Para 11]
(2) Interim Order -- no litigantcan derive benefit from mere pendency of case -- interim order always merges into final order -- if case is ultimately dismissed, interimorder stands nullified automatically -- if petitioner takes advantage of interimorder and ultimately petition stands dismissed, any undeserved or unfair advantage gained by party invoking jurisdiction of Court must be neutralized. (2010) 9 SCC 437, (1992) 2 SCC 620, (1980) 2 SCC 191, (1995) 3 SCC 33, (2009) 1 SCC 122, (1973) 4 SCC 183, (2006) 5 SCC 127 and (2005) 10 SCC 383 followed. [Paras 11 & 12]
(3) Legal Maxim -- actus curiae neminem gravabit -- act of Court shall prejudice no one -- Court under obligation to undo wrong done to party by act of Court. (2010) 9 SCC 437 followed. [Para 11]
(4) Interim Order -- withdrawal of petition after obtaining interim order -- effect -- interim order stands cancelled/vacated -- duty of Court -- litigants should be informed by Court of consequence so they may take informed decision about withdrawal or abandoning petition as not pressed -- where prayer for dismissal (as not pressed or withdrawn) is made even before respondent is served, order vacating interim order should be communicated to authority against whom interim order was issued, so that any benefit extended as consequence of interim order can be withdrawn or reversed -- fairness to litigant requires that Court, when request for dismissal is made, should inform or indicate to petitioner or his counsel that as consequence of such dismissal, benefit of interim relief already granted will be revoked or withdrawn. (2008) 17 SCC 73 followed. [Para 17]
¼1½ foyac & U;k;ky; dh vf/kdkfjrk dk vkJ; ysus okys i{k }kjk mBk;k x;k dksbZ Hkh vuqi;qDr ;k v_tq Qk;nk ÁHkkoghu fd;k tkuk vko';d & eqdnesckth dh O;oLFkk dks U;k;ky; dh foyafcr dkjZokbZ ds dkj.k fdlh Hkh i{k dks Qk;nk ÁnRr djus ugha fn;k tk ldrkA ¼2010½ 9 ,l lh lh 437 vuqlfjrA ¼iSjk 11½
¼2½ varfje vkns'k & dksbZ Hkh eqdnesckt Ádj.k ds yacu ek= ls Qk;nk ugha mBk ldrk & varfje vkns'k lnSo vafre vkns'k esa foy; gks tkrk gS & Ádj.k varr% [kkfjt gks tk, rks varfje vkns'k Lor% vÑr gks tkrk gS & ;fn ;kph varfje vkns'k dk Qk;nk mBkrk gS vkSj ;kfpdk varr% [kkfjt gks tkrh gS rks U;k;ky; dh vf/kdkfjrk dk vkJ; ysus okys i{k }kjk mBk;k x;k dksbZ Hkh vuqi;qDr ;k v_tq Qk;nk ÁHkkoghu fd;k tkuk vko';dA ¼2010½ 9 ,l lh lh 437] ¼1992½ 2 ,l lh lh 620] ¼1980½ 2 ,l lh lh 191] ¼1995½ 3 ,l lh lh 33] ¼2009½ 1 ,l lh lh 122] ¼1973½ 4 ,l lh lh 183] ¼2006½ 5 ,l lh lh 127 rFkk ¼2005½ 10 ,l lh lh 383 vuqlfjrA ¼iSjk 11 ,oa 12½
¼3½ fof/kd lw= & ,DVl D;wfj, usfeuse xzkokfcV & U;k;ky; ls fdlh dh gkfu ugha gksrh & U;k;ky; ds dk;Z ls fdlh i{k dks dkfjr vU;k; feVkus djus ds fy, U;k;ky; ck/;A ¼2010½ 9 ,l lh lh 437 vuqlfjrA ¼iSjk 11½
¼4½ varfje vkns'k & varfje vkns'k vfHkÁkIr djus ds i'pkr~ ;kfpdk okil ysuk & ÁHkko & varfje vkns'k jn~n@fjDr gks tkrk gS & U;k;ky; dk drZO; & U;k;ky; }kjk eqdnescktksa dks ifj.kke ls voxr djk;k tkuk pkfg, rkfd og ;kfpdk okil ysus ;k cy ugha nsdj mldk ifjR;kx djus ds ckjs esa lqfopkfjr fofu'p; dj ldsa & tgka ÁR;FkhZ ij rkehy gksus ds iwoZ gh ¼cy ugha fn, tkus ;k okil fy, tkus ds dkj.k½ [kkfjth dh ÁkFkZuk dh xbZ gks ogka varfje vkns'k fjDr djus dk vkns'k ml Ákf/kdkjh dks lalwfpr fd;k tkuk pkfg, ftlds fo#) varfje vkns'k tkjh fd;k x;k Fkk] rkfd vafrje vkns'k ds ifj.kkeLo:i fn;k x;k dksbZ Hkh Qk;nk okil fy;k tk lds ;k ÁfrofrZr fd;k tk lds & eqdnesckt ds Áfr U;k;iw.kZ O;ogkj dh vis{kk gS fd [kkfjth ds fy, vuqjks/k fd, tkus ij U;k;ky; ;kph ;k mlds dkmUlsy dks lwfpr djs ;k crk, fd ,slh [kkfjth ds ifj.kkeLo:i] varfje vuqrks"k dk fn;k x;k Qk;nk Áfrlag~r dj fy;k tk,xk ;k okil ys fy;k tk,xkA ¼2008½ 17 ,l lh lh 73 vuqlfjrA ¼iSjk 17½
ORDER
Rafiq, C.J. -- This miscellaneous petition filed under Article 227 of the Constitution of India by Atul Kumar Ben and Dilip Kumar Jahariya, both Senior Assistant Loco Pilot, West Central Railway, Jabalpur seeks to challenge the order dated 4.9.2020 passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal (for short the “Tribunal”) in Original Application No.200/381/2020 (Mukesh Kumar and others v. Union of India and others), by which the original application filed by the private respondents No.5 to 8 herein, all Senior Assistant Loco Pilots, was disposed of as infructuous. The petitioners by way of present petition have also challenged the order dated 30.9.2020 passed by the Tribunal dismissing Review Application No.200/06/2020 (Kunjbihari Meena and others v. Union of India and others) filed by present petitioners and private respondents No. 9 to 12 herein against the interim order dated 30.7.2020 and final order dated 4.9.2020 passed in the aforesaid original application.
2. The private respondents No.5 to 8 herein (original applicants before the Tribunal) in their original application have challenged the panel dated 27.7.2020 on the premise that the petitioners and the private respondents No.9 to 12 herein being junior to them in the feeder carde of Senior Assistant Loco Pilot, have wrongly been empanelled for promotion to Loco Pilot Shunter/Loco Pilot Goods-II in Grade Pay of Rs.4200/- and are sought to be sent for promotion course to ZRTI, Central Railway, Bhusawal. The case of the private respondents No.5 to 8 herein (original applicants) before the Tribunal was that the order dated 27.07.2020 so far it relates to Serial No.1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 23, 24, 32, 33 & 34 and so on till Serial No.73 reserved category employees having been considered for promotion on the post of general category is contrary to RBE No.117/2016 dated 30.9.2016. Similarly, the candidates at Serial No.74 to 100 in the panel are also junior to them. They are being considered for promotion, violating seniority position inasmuch as straight away providing reservation in promotion is contrary to the ratio of the judgment of the Supreme Court in M. Nagraj v. Union of India reported in (2006) 8 SCC 212. The private respondents No. 5 to 8 herein (original applicants) contended before the Tribunal that panel dated 27.7.2020 being contrary to RBE No.117/2016 dated 30.9.2016, so far it relates to reserved category candidate is non est and is liable to be set aside being violative of long standing practice prevailing in the Railways and that they being senior to those respondents (before the Tribunal) are entitled for promotion over and above such junior strictly in accordance with the seniority.
3. The Tribunal vide order dated 30.7.2020 while issuing notices in the original application to the official respondents as well as to the private respondents (including petitioners herein) directed the Railways to consider the case of the respondents No.5 to 8 (original applicants before the Tribunal) for promotional posts of Loco Pilot Shunting-II (Level – 4)/Loco Pilot Goods (Level – 6) with reference to Annexure A-1, on the basis of seniority list, if otherwise found suitable. The Railways in compliance of the aforesaid interim order of the Tribunal dated 30.7.2020 cancelled the earlier panel dated 27.7.2020 and has issued a revised panel of 100 candidates on 6.8.2020. The Railways, at the same time, contested the original application before the Tribunal by filing reply thereto contending that it has assessed the vacancies for promotion on the post of Loco Pilot Shunting-II (Level-4) from Senior Assistant Loco Pilot (Level-4) and worked out vacancy assessment. The vacancy assessment has been done as per roster. Total 111 vacancies for the post of Senior Assistant Loco Pilot (Level-4) were assessed out of which 79 vacancies were earmarked for Unreserved candidates, 21 for Scheduled Caste candidates and 11 for Scheduled Tribe candidates. The employe
The court affirmed that promotion must adhere to the specified criteria of 'seniority-cum-merit,' rejecting claims of irregularity in the promotion process based on 'merit-cum-seniority.'
The court affirmed the principle of providing alternative employment to medically unfit candidates, emphasizing timely action and adherence to judicial discipline.
Applications before Tribunal premature if representations pending; Section 20 AT Act mandates exhaustion of remedies or 6-month wait; department must decide representations timely; OAs disposed direc....
Cancellation orders must contain reasons; cannot be justified by later affidavits. Non-speaking orders invalid.
Tribunal orders for regularization must be implemented within specified timelines despite affirmed appeals; antedate appointments notionally without stay interference.
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