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NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO. 4747 OF 2017

(ARISING FROM SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (C) NO.8886 OF 2017)

C.R. YADAV, HCS (RETD) APPELLANT(S)                                 VERSUS

STATE OF HARYANA AND ORS RESPONDENT(S) J U D G M E N T

KURIAN, J. Leave granted.

2. In the nature of order we propose to pass in this appeal, it is not necessary to issue notice to the respondents. 3. The appellant retired from service in the year 2000.  He had already filed a writ petition disputing the  seniority  in  the  High  Court  in  the  year  1993 being Civil Writ Petition No.13601 of 1993.  But it appears  that  the  writ  petition  was  taken  up  for hearing  only  in  the  year  2016  and  the  same  was disposed of on 11.07.2016 holding that there is no point in deciding the case at that distance of time. 4. We are of the view that the High Court was not justified  in  rejecting  the  writ  petition  on  the ground  of  retirement  of  the  appellant.   The  writ petition  had  been  pending  when  he  retired.  The judgment  dated  11.7.2016  in  Civil  Writ  Petition No.13601/1993  is,  therefore,  set  aside. Consequently, the impugned judgment of the Division Bench is also set aside and the Civil Writ Petition is remitted to the High Court with a direction to hear  the  same  on  merits.   The  appellant  being  a

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senior citizen, we request the High Court to dispose of  the  writ  petition  expeditiously  and  preferably within six months. 5. The appeal is, accordingly, disposed of. 6. Pending  applications,  if  any,  shall  stand disposed of. 7. There shall be no orders as to costs.

.......................J.               [KURIAN JOSEPH]  

.......................J.               [R. BANUMATHI]  

NEW DELHI; MARCH 31, 2017.

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