MOHD. ASIF Vs STATE OF MAHARASHTRA .
Bench: CYRIAC JOSEPH,RANJANA PRAKASH DESAI
Case number: C.A. No.-001094-001094 / 2012
Diary number: 35848 / 2007
Advocates: P. N. PURI Vs
ANAGHA S. DESAI
NON-REPORTABLE
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO.1094 OF 2012 [arising out of SLP (C) No. 23840 of 2007]
MOHD. ASIF … Appellant
Versus
STATE OF MAHARASHTRA & ORS. … Respondents
J U D G M E N T
CYRIAC JOSEPH, J.
1. Leave granted.
2. This appeal by special leave is filed against the judgment dated
21.11.2007 passed by the Nagpur Bench of the High Court of Bombay
dismissing Writ Petition No. 995 of 2007 filed by Mohd. Asif, the
appellant herein.
3. According to the appellant, his ancestors were residents of
Rajnandgaon which was earlier part of the State of Madhya Pradesh
and is now part of the State of Chattisgarh. According to the
Certificate dated 16.12.1988 issued by the Naib Tahsildar of the
Rajnandgaon, the appellant belongs to Muslim Pathan Behna Caste
which was recognized as OBC (Other Backward Classes) in the State
of Madhya Pradesh. The appellant’s family had shifted to Kamptee in
the Nagpur district of Maharashtra and had become permanent
residents of Nagpur district. Admittedly, caste ‘Behna’ is recognized
as a Scheduled Caste in the State of Maharashtra.
4. As per order dated 22.06.1992, the appellant was appointed as
an Assistant Teacher by respondent No.2 – Municipal Council,
Bhandara in Nagar Parishad Urdu High School, Bhandara
(respondent No.3) run by the said Municipal Council. His
appointment was in the category reserved for Scheduled Castes.
5. As per the Certificate dated 21.09.1995 issued by the Executive
Magistrate, Kamptee, Nagpur, the appellant belongs to the caste
‘Behna’ which is recognized as Scheduled Caste in the State of
Maharashtra.
6. However, on the basis of a complaint dated 24.04.2003 filed by
one Sattar Khan, President, Nagar Sudhar Nagrik Samiti, Bhandara,
the Divisional Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee (for short ‘the
Committee) conducted an inquiry regarding the caste of the appellant.
By an order dated 22.03.2006, the Committee came to the conclusion
that the appellant failed to submit proof/evidence to show that he
belongs to caste ‘Behna’ and rejected the appellant’s claim that he
belongs to caste ‘Behna’. Challenging the order of the Committee, the
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appellant filed Writ Petition No. 1993 of 2006 in the Nagpur Bench of
the High Court of Bombay. While the said Writ Petition was pending
before the High Court, the Standing Committee of respondent No.2 –
Municipal Council passed a Resolution dated 27.06.2006 treating the
appointment of the appellant as an appointment in the open category.
The Standing Committee took such a decision in the light of
Maharashtra Government Order dated 07.12.2001 permitting
conversion of post reserved for Scheduled Castes in the Urdu medium
schools into open category post and for filling up such post by open
category candidates. However, it was also stated in the Resolution of
the Standing Committee that its decision will be subject to the
decision of the High Court in the pending Writ Petition. In the light of
the above-mentioned Resolution of the Standing Committee, the
appellant sought permission of the High Court to withdraw his Writ
Petition and accordingly Writ Petition No. 1993 of 2006 was disposed
of as withdrawn on 10.08.2006.
7. After such disposal of the Writ Petition, in its General Meeting
the Municipal Council passed Resolution No. 52 dated 08.09.2006
approving the Resolution dated 27.06.2006 of the Standing
Committee treating the appellant as a candidate in the open category.
In spite of the decisions of the Standing Committee and the Municipal
Council, the Chief Officer of the Municipal Council appears to have
sought guidance from the Director of Municipal Administration,
Nagpur and the Collector, Bhandara regarding further action to be
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taken in the matter. The Director of Municipal Administration
informed the Municipal Council that since the Caste Certificate of the
appellant was invalidated by the Committee, new recruitment process
should be started and in the new recruitment process, the appellant
also could apply.
8. Thereupon, the appellant filed Writ Petition No. 995 of 2007 in
the Nagpur Bench of the High Court of Bombay challenging the order
dated 23.11.2006 of the Director of Municipal Administration
directing to start new recruitment process. There was also a prayer
for a direction to the respondents to continue the services of the
appellant on the same post by treating him as an open category
candidate and grant him all consequential benefits. The said Writ
Petition was dismissed by the High Court as per the impugned order
dated 21.11.2007.
9. From a perusal of the impugned judgment of the High Court, it
is seen that the appellant raised an alternative contention based on a
Government Resolution dated 30.06.2004 which, according to the
learned Additional Government Pleader, was only applicable to the
candidates belonging to Scheduled Tribes. The High Court accepted
the contention of the learned Additional Government Pleader and
dismissed the Writ Petition without considering the Resolution dated
27.06.2006 of the Standing Committee and the Resolution dated
08.09.2006 of the Municipal Council by which the appellant was
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treated as a candidate in the open category and also the Government
Resolution dated 07.12.2001 based on which the said Resolutions
were passed. Therefore, we are of the view that the High Court failed
to properly consider the claims and contentions of the appellant and
the impugned judgment is vitiated by non-application of mind and
hence liable to be set aside.
10. Therefore we set aside the impugned order of the High Court
and remand the matter back to the High Court with a request to
consider the matter afresh and pass appropriate orders in the writ
petition in accordance with law as early as possible. All contentions of
the parties are left open. Till such fresh disposal of the writ petition,
status quo as on today shall be maintained with regard to the
appointment of the appellant.
11. The appeal is allowed to the above extent. There will be no
order as to costs.
…..………………………………….J. (CYRIAC JOSEPH)
…..…………………………………J. (RANJANA PRAKASH DESAI)
New Delhi; January 27, 2012.
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