Reservation in Jharkhand Higher Judicial Services

 ITEM NO.13               COURT NO.16               SECTION XVII

               S U P R E M E  C O U R T  O F  I N D I A

                       RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (C) No.13307/2019

(Arising out of impugned final judgment and order dated 06-03-2019

in WP No. 48/2017 passed by the High Court of Jharkhand at Ranchi)

DINESH CHOUDHARY                                   Petitioner(s)

                                VERSUS

THE HONBLE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND & ORS.          Respondent(s)

(IA No. 85438/2019 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T.)

Date : 07-09-2022 These matters were called on for hearing today.

CORAM :

         HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A.S. BOPANNA

         HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE PAMIDIGHANTAM SRI NARASIMHA

For Petitioner(s)   Mr. Arvind Gupta, AOR

Mr. Anil Kumar Sahu, Adv.

Mr. Mohit Bidhuri, Adv.

Mr. Pran Krishna Jane, Adv.

Ms. Nazish Fatima, Adv.

Mr. Utkarsh Sahu, Adv.

                  

For Respondent(s)   Mr. Krishnanand Pandeya, AOR

                    Mr. Tapesh Kumar Singh, AOR

Mr. Aditya Pratap Singh, Adv.

                   

          UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following

                             O R D E R

The  petitioner  is  before  this  Court  assailing  the

order dated 06.03.2019 passed by the High Court of Jharkhand

at Ranchi in WP No. 48/2017.

The issue which arose for consideration in the said

Writ Petition was with regard to the claim of the petitioner

and  certain  other  similarly  placed  persons  seeking  for 

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providing reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes

and other Backward Classes in the recruitment to the Higher

Judicial Services in the State of Jharkhand.

In that light it was contended that the Notification

for recruitment was issued without providing for reservation

and was violative of the Reservation Policy of the State of

Jharkhand. Though several contentions were urged in the Writ

Petition, considering the fact that the Public Advertisement

No. 1/2017/Apptt. was already issued and as on such date the

Jharkhand Superior Judicial Service (Recruitment, Appointment

and  Conditions  of  Service)Rule,2001  did  not  provide  for

reservation,  the  High  Court  was  of  the  view  that  no

interference  in  the  process  which  had  already  commenced  is

contemplated when as on the date of the advertisement there

was no provision for reservation in the Rules,2001. The High

Court accordingly dismissed the Writ Petition.

Learned counsel for the petitioners contends, though

that be the position, subsequent recruitments have been made

and  in  future  also  the  recruitments  are  to  be  made  and

therefore the reservation is to be provided in terms of the

reservation policy of the State.

In that regard, learned counsel appearing for the High

Court  has  referred  to  the  Objection  Statement  filed  herein

indicating that Hon’ble the Chief Justice vide Minutes dated

29.01.2019 has constituted a special Committee of five Hon’ble

Judges  to  consider  the  matter  for  reservation  in  Jharkhand

Higher Judicial Services.  It is also stated therein that that

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the Committee had considered the matter in its meeting dated

29.07.2019 and had issued certain directions.

In that view it is indicated that the matter is under

active  consideration  before the High Court.  The High Court

having taken note of this aspect and taking into consideration

the  fact  that  steps  have  been  taken  by  the  High  Court  to

constitute  a  Committee  and  the  matter  is  under  due

consideration,  we  see  no  reason  to  pass  any  specific

directions in this petition.

We  are  confident  that  the  High  Court  would  take  an

appropriate decision in accordance with law after securing the

recommendation from the Committee.  It would also be open to

the  petitioner  to  file  appropriate  representation  before

Hon’ble the Chief Justice putting forth their grievances, if

any.

With  the  above  observations,  the  Special  Leave

Petition stands disposed of. 

(RAJNI MUKHI)                               (DIPTI KHURANA)

COURT MASTER (SH)                         ASSISTANT REGISTRAR

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