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2025 Supreme(Online)(Pat) 1804

PATNA HIGH COURT
MR. ANIL KUMAR SINHA, J
Atal Bihari Singh – Appellant
Versus
The State Of Bihar – Respondent
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.17957 of 2015



Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Mr.Sanjeev Kumar Mishra, Sr. Adv., Ms. Manini Jaiswal, Ms. Adya Pandey
For the Respondents: Mr.Abbas Haider, SC, Mr. Rajesh Choudhary

The cancellation of an employee's regularization based on arbitrary grounds violates principles of non-discrimination and due process, necessitating restoration of benefits to similarly situated individuals.

Headnote:(A) Bihar State Universities Act, 1976 - Section 35(2) - Cancellation of a regularization order - Petitioner, initially appointed as Peon in 1986, had his regularization revoked on grounds of non-approval and lack of evidence for continuous service - Court emphasized the need for individualized assessment in cancellation processes and rejected arbitrary grounds. (Paras 34, 36, 37, 39, 40)

(B) Employment Law - Principle of non-discrimination and parity - Court held that the petitioner is entitled to the same treatment as similarly situated employees whose regularization had been upheld, thereby restoring his regularization and ordering back pay. (Paras 51, 53, 54)

Facts of the case:
The petitioner sought the quashing of a cancellation order regarding his regularization as Peon based on grounds of age discrepancies and procedural irregularities that were found non-substantial upon review.

Findings of Court:
The cancellation order lacked specificity regarding the grounds for denial of regularization and did not consider the continuous service rendered by the petitioner.

Issues: Whether the petitioner was wrongfully denied regularization compared to similarly situated employees and if the grounds for cancellation were legally tenable.

Ratio Decidendi: The court concluded that dismissing the petitioner's claim based on clerical errors and lack of rigorous scrutiny violates principles of justice and equality in employment law.

Result: Writ application allowed, regularization order restored with back pay.

Table of Content
1. petitioner claims regularization of services. (Para 1 , 2 , 3 , 4)
2. petitioner argues against grounds for rejection. (Para 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15)
3. state argues invalidity of initial appointment. (Para 20 , 21 , 22 , 24 , 27)
4. court analyzes petitioner’s regularization and grounds for cancellation. (Para 34 , 36 , 38 , 39 , 40)
5. court upholds parity with similarly situated employees. (Para 49 , 50 , 51)
6. court orders restoration of petitioner’s regularization. (Para 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56)

ORDER

C.A.V.

Date : 12-12-2025

By way of present writ petition, the petitioner has prayed for quashing the order dated 03.09.2015, contained in Memo No. Legal-108/12-826/Estab/15, issued under the signature of the Vice Chancellor of the Veer Kunwar Singh University, Ara (herein after referred to as ‘the University’), by which the representation of the petitioner, filed in light of the order, dated 01.07.2014, passed by this Court in CWJC No. 20184 of 2014, has been rejected. The petitioner has further prayed for quashing of the notification, contained in Memo No. 1050/ESTAB/2013, dated 30.07.2013, whereby the absorption of the petitioner on the post of Peon, in Maharaja College, Ara (in short, ‘the College’) has been cancelled and the earlier notification No. 616/ESTAB/13, dated 01.06.2013, has been recalled. The petitioner has also prayed for revival of earlier notification No. 616/ESTAB/2013 with all consequential financial benefits.

2. The factual matrix of the case is that the petitioner claims to be appointed on 27.01.1986 on the post of Peon, a Class- IV post, in the College, under the staffing pattern and he joined his duties on 01.02.1986. The name of the petitioner figured at serial number 7 in the published staff list, dated 02.03.1986, containing a list of 4th grade employees of the College issued by the Principal of the College.

3. Similarly situated employee, Habibur Rahman, along with other employees, whose names appeared along with the petitioner in the list of 4th grade employees working in the college (at Annexure 3) had earlier approached this Court in C.W.J.C. No. 9535 of 2004, raising an identical grievance regarding regularization of their services. The said writ petition was disposed vide order, dated 28.09.2010, with a direction to the writ petitioners to file representation before the Vice Chancellor of the University.

4. Pursuant to the aforesaid order, dated 28.09.2010, they filed representation before the Vice Chancellor of the University. The University regularized the services of all the writ petitioners of C.W.J.C. No. 9535 of 2004, vide notification, dated 29.02.2012 annexed at Annexure 5 of the present writ petition. The name of the petitioner appeared in the list of 4th grade employees of the College (Annexure 3) above the writ petitioners of C.W.J.C. No. 9535 of 2004.

5. In view of the aforesaid, the petitioner filed multiple representations, including one, dated 15.03.2012, seeking regularization of his services, but no action was taken by the University on his representation.

6. Being aggrieved, the petitioner filed C.W.J.C. No. 11365 of 2012, seeking direction for regularization of his services as Class IV employee with all consequential benefits. The writ petition was disposed vide order, dated 06.07.2012, with direction to the University to consider the grievance of the petitioner in accordance with law and to pass a reasoned order, specifically dealing with the earlier notification, dated 29.02.2012, by which the services of similar situated persons have been regularized.

7. Following the said order, the University regularized the services of the petitioner, vide notification, as contained in memo no. 616/ESTAB/2013, dated 01.06.2013 (Annexure 9) in light of the decision of the committee, dated 18.05.2012, and recommendation of a three-men committee constituted by the University. The petitioner accordingly joined the post on the same day and, thereafter, the principal of the College wrote

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