State of
Haryana Vs. Naresh Kumar Bali [1994] INSC 339 (17 May 1994)
Mohan,
S. (J) Mohan, S. (J) Venkatachalliah, M.N.(Cj) Sahai, R.M. (J)
CITATION:
1994 SCC (4) 448 JT 1994 (4) 184 1994 SCALE (2)1105
ACT:
HEAD NOTE:
The
Judgment of the Court was delivered by MOHAN, J.- Leave granted.
2.
This appeal by special leave is directed against the judgment dated 21-7-1993 of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh in CWP No. 15366 of 1992.
3. The
State of Haryana is the first appellant. The father of the respondent was
employed as a Constable in the office of the Superintendent of Police at Ambala.
He died in harness on 14-3-1976. There are instructions issued by
the appellant dated 22-12-1970 containing a scheme under which the
widow of the deceased employee could sponsor the name of any one member of the
family for service to any post in any department of the Government. This is
subject to the qualifications held by the persons whose names were forwarded
for appointment. In accordance with this scheme the widow of the deceased
employee was issued an intimation that she could sponsor a name. Accordingly
she forwarded the name of her son, Naresh Kumar Bali, the respondent herein. On
3-8-1988 the mother of the respondent wrote
a letter to the second appellant categorically stating that her son was willing
to do the job of a clerk and, therefore, should be appointed to the said post.
Pursuant to this letter requisite sanction was obtained from the Government.
Thereafter
the following letter of appointment was issued on 14-2-1989:
"APPOINTMENT
LETTER AS CLERK Registered From :
The
Director General of Police & The Inspector General of Police, Haryana, Chandigarh.
To, Shri
Naresh Kumar, S/o Shri Ram Dass, House No. 774/1, Chhota Nagar, V. & P.O. Buriya,
Teh. Jagadhri, Distt. Ambala.
No.
1314 /SA(3) dated Chandigarh, the 14-2-1989.
Subject:
Employment for Temporary Clerk.
450 Memorandum:
In
terms of Haryana Government Circular letter No. 3442-3GS- 11/71/19169, dated 13-7-1971, you are offered a purely temporary appointment of
Clerk in this department, in the pay scale of Rs 950-1500 and such allowances
as may be admissible from time to time. This offer of appointment is subject to
the condition that you are declared medically fit for employment in government
service by the Principal/Chief Medical Officer concerned and if married you
have only one living spouse.
2. It
should be clearly understood that this offer of appointment is for a purely
temporary post, which is liable to be abolished at any time and carries no
promise of subsequent permanent employment. Consequently, you may be required
to go out of service without notice i.e. whenever there is no vacancy against
which you can be appointed to officiate. It is, thus, clear that no offer of
permanent appointment can be made to you at present and in this respect, you
will have to take your chance like others, who are similarly recruited.
3.
Your services will be liable to termination without notice, if your work or
conduct is unsatisfactory or the post against which you are posted, ceases to
exist or some senior man has to be adjusted against it.
4. If
you at any stage, desire to resign your post in the Police Department, you will
be required to give one month's notice or forfeit in lieu thereof your salary
including allowances for one month, or for the period by which the notice falls
short of one month. Such that notice will also be given to you by the
department, to case (sic) it as proposed to terminate your services, for
reasons after then these mentioned in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 above. The
department will also be liable to pay your salary including allowances for one
month or for the period by which the notice falls short of one month. In case
of misconduct, however, you will be entitled to reasonable opportunity to show
cause why your services should not be terminated, in which case the condition
of one month's notice shall not apply.
5. In
accordance with the instructions issued by the Haryana Government, vide their
letter No. 39/4/78/GS-1, dated 3-4-1978, you are required to pass a test to be
conducted by Head Officer of the office to which you are being posted, in
English or Hindi typewriting at a speed of 30/25 words per minute respectively,
within a period of one year of your appointment and the grant of increment
shall be regulated by the instructions issued vide Haryana Government letter
No. 3980-GS-1-75/25879, dated 27-8-1975. It is, therefore, in your own interest
to learn typewriting and pass the 451 required type test to be conducted by Head
Officer of the office to which you are being posted.
6. No travelling
allowance shall be admissible for joining the post in this department.
7. If
you are willing to accept this offer on the terms and conditions, mentioned
above, you should report yourself in the office of the Deputy Inspector General
of Police, CID, Haryana, Chandigarh. If you fail to join this department after
getting your appointment order by 21-2-1989 your name will be removed from the
approved list of candidates.
Superintendent-in-Charge,
For Director General & Inspector General of Police, Haryana."
4. The
respondent in his reply dated 11- 1 - 1990 informed the office of the appellant
that since he had applied for appointment for the post of a teacher to the
Subordinate Service Selection Board prior to his appointment by the department
as a clerk, commensurate with his qualification, he should be appointed as a
teacher. Therefore, he may be transferred to Education Department.
5. It
requires to be mentioned that the respondent's name was not recommended by the
Subordinate Service Selection Board since he lacked the requisite
qualifications. Then again, he did not reveal at the time of his appointment as
a clerk that he had applied for the post of a teacher. It was only after a period
of one year from the date of appointment he made this representation. On 13-3-1990 the representation was rejected.
6. On 17-3-1990, the mother of the respondent filed a representation
on behalf of the respondent for appointment to the post of Sub-Inspector.
7. The
post of Sub-Inspector is only by promotion and not by direct recruitment as per
the relevant Police Rules of 1934. Accordingly this representation was rejected
on 18-4- 1990 by the Department.
8. On 4-1-1991 the respondent made another representation for
transfer and adjustment as a clerk in the Excise and Taxation Department. That
representation dated 4-1-1991 was rejected on 5-7-1991.
9. On 5-12-1992 the respondent filed Civil Writ Petition No. 15366
of 1992. In that it was alleged inter alia that he was discriminated against
similarly situated persons who were appointed as Inspectors, Assistant
Sub-Inspectors on compassionate ground. On this allegation he filed a writ of
mandamus.
10. In
the counter-affidavit of the second appellant (Director General of Police) it
was averred since the respondent had been given appointment on compassionate
ground, keeping in view the qualifications it was not correct on his part to
claim any violation of fundamental right.
11.
The High Court held in the impugned judgment that there were several instances
where appointments had been made on compassionate 452 grounds. It took the
view, the mere fact that the mother of the respondent was praying for the
employment of her son even at a lower post of Constable, it could not be used
as a handle in perpetrating discrimination against him. Thus, the writ petition
was allowed and the appellant was directed to appoint the respondent as
Inspector of Police within a period of three months. Aggrieved by this the present
civil appeal has come to be preferred.
12.It
is the contention of the appellants that the ex gratia scheme as set out in
Government Instructions in 1970 was strictly complied with by the appellants.
In fact, the mother of the respondent was specifically asked about the post to
which she wanted her son to be appointed under the scheme on compassionate
ground. It was stated so under her letter dated 3-8-1988 that her son was willing to join as a clerk to which post
he came to be appointed. Besides, the Subordinate Service Selection Board had
not selected the respondent as a teacher because he lacked qualifications.
The
High Court went wrong in comparing the case of the respondent with others as
their cases were considered on their merits and they are appointed under the ex
gratia scheme but the case of the respondent is not comparable.
13.In
any event, the High Court should have merely directed the appellants to
consider and not straight away issue directions to appoint. More so, the post
of an Inspector is a promotional post and not by direct recruitment.
14.The
learned counsel for the respondent would urge that once discrimination has been
established as found by the High Court it follows the respondent is entitled to
equal treatment as was rightly pointed out by the High Court.
Merely
because the mother of the respondent chose to apply for the post of a clerk
that does not mean the respondent is not entitled to the higher post.
15.We
have set out the factual background in full. The letter of the respondent's
mother dated 3-8-1988 categorically states that her son
(respondent) was willing to be appointed as a clerk. It was on that the
appointment letter, extracted above, came to be issued. Though the respondent
claimed that he had applied for the post of a teacher the Subordinate Service
Selection Board had not chosen him for the post of a teacher because he did not
have the requisite qualification. In fact, the respondent did not object to his
appointment as a clerk and his claim for consideration for the post of teacher
was one year after his appointment. Thus, the appointment on compassionate
ground as per the scheme had been completed. The claim for appointment as
Inspector was never made earlier. The High Court without even analysing the
circumstances under which the seven persons mentioned in its judgment came to
be appointed as Police Officers (ASI or Inspector), straight away has chosen to
conclude that there was discrimination.
We are
not in a position to appreciate this line of reasoning. The positive finding
ought to have been given whether the case of 453 the respondent was comparable
with those of the seven and then a finding of discrimination ought to have been
rendered.
16.With
regard to appointment on compassionate ground we have set out the law in Life
Insurance Corpn. of India v. Asha Ramchhandra Ambekar1. The
same principle will clearly apply here. What the High Court failed to note is
the post of an Inspector is a promotional post. The issuing a direction to
appoint the respondent within three months when direct recruitment is not
available, is unsupportable. The High Court could have merely directed
consideration of the claim of the respondent in accordance with the rules. It
cannot direct appointment. Such a direction does not fall within the scope of
mandamus. Judicial review, it has been repeatedly emphasised, is directed
against the decision- making process and not against the decision itself; and
it is no part of the court's duty to exercise the power of the authorities
itself. There is widespread misconception on the scope of interference in
judicial review. The exercise of the extraordinary jurisdiction
constitutionally conferred on the Apex Court under Article 142(1) of the Constitution can be of no guidance on the
scope of Article 226. For these reasons we set aside the judgment under appeal
and remit the matter to the High Court for a fresh consideration in the light
of what we have indicated above. Accordingly, the appeal is allowed. No costs.
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