Yadav, Advocate. SGT Manish Kumar Singh, Air Force Legal Cell and SGT Mritunjay v. EX SGT ABHAYA KUMAR RATH

Judgment

1. This petition assails order dated 29 May 2025 passed by the Armed Forces Tribunal1 in OA 361/2018 whereby the respondent’s application for grant of disability pension on the ground that he suffers from Prolapsed Inter Vertibral Disc L4-L52 with 30% disability has been allowed by the AFT.

2. The issue is covered by a recent decision rendered by us in UOI v Ex Sub Gawas Anil Madso3. Signature Not Verified 1 “the AFT”, hereinafter 2 “PIVD”, hereinafter Signed By:PREETI Signing Date:17.10.2025 19:39:19 W.P.(C) 14625/2025

Nonetheless, we have heard Mr. Manish Rohilla, learned SPC for the petitioners, and have perused the record.

4. The respondent was released in Low Medical Category on his being found to be suffering from PIVD. From the record, including the proceedings of the Release Medical Board4, the following facts emerged: (i) The respondent had served in the Air Force for over 28 years before he was diagnosed as suffering from PIVD. (ii) The respondent, in his self-declaration, specifically declared that he had not been suffering from PIVD prior to joining the Air Force. The declaration reads thus:

2. Did the disability exist before entering service? (Y/N/Could be) The correctness of this declaration is not doubted either by the RMB or by the petitioner before the AFT or before this Court. (iii) The reason regarding the PIVD suffered by respondent has not been attributable to military service, as entered by the RMB reads thus: Onset (Apr 2012) while on the posted “PIVD: strength of 5 Wg AF. Kalaikunda. Disability is considered aggravated due to stress and strain of Military Service as per Para 51 of Chapter VI of GMO (Military Pensioners) : Signature Not Verified 3 2025 SCC OnLine Del 2018 4 “RMB”, hereinafter Signed By:PREETI Signing Date:17.10.2025 19:39:19 W.P.(C) 14625/2025 2008 (amended), same is completed and approved in initial Medical Board dated 10 May 2012” (iv) We have already held, in our judgment in Gawas Anil Madso, that where the applicant was not suffering from the ailment at the time of entry into service, the RMB is required to positively identify the cause for the ailment, to justify a finding that it is not attributable to military service. The Commanding Officer’s certificate specifically states that the respondent was not responsible, owing to any act or omission of his, for the ailment from which he was suffering. The entry in that regard reads as under:

5.(a) Was the disability attributable to the individual’s own negligence or misconduct? If Yes, in what way? N/A (v) Regarding para 51 of Chapter VI of the GMO 2008, read thus: “51. Low backache: Low backache is a clinical entity which is characterised by pain in the lower back which may be associated with sciatica and neurological deficit. The causes of low backache are: (a) Musculofascial strain (b) Lumbar spondylosis (c) Facet joint arthropathy (d) Prolapsed inter vertebral disc (e) Sacroilitis (f) Ankylosing Spondylitis (g) Spondylolisthesis (h) Trauma Signature Not Verified Signed By:PREETI Signing Date:17.10.2025 19:39:19 W.P.(C) 14625/2025 traumatic Post low backache will be considered attributable. Aggravation due to stress & strain of service should be conceded in other cases." (vi) The RMB has certified the respondent as suffering from 30% disability on account of PIVD, lifelong.

5. In such circumstances, we have held in our decision in Ex Sub Gawas Anil Madso that the respondent would be entitled to disability pension.

6. We do not deem it necessary to reproduce our findings in the said decision, so as not to burden this judgment.

7. We have also been conscious of the fact that we are exercising certiorari jurisdiction over the decision of the AFT and are not sitting in appeal over the said decision.

8. The parameters of certiorari jurisdiction are delineated in the following passages of Syed Yakoob v K.S. Radhakrishnan5: The question about the limits of the jurisdiction of High “7. Courts in issuing a writ of certiorari under Article 226 has been frequently considered by this Court and the true legal position in that behalf is no longer in doubt. A writ of certiorari can be issued for correcting errors of jurisdiction committed by inferior courts or tribunals: these are cases where orders are passed by inferior courts or tribunals without jurisdiction, or is in excess of it, or as a result of failure to exercise jurisdiction. A writ can similarly be issued where in exercise of jurisdiction conferred on it, the Court or Tribunal acts illegally or properly, as for instance, it decides a question without giving an opportunity, be heard to the party affected by the order, or where the procedure adopted in dealing Signature Not Verified 5 AIR 1964 SC 477 Signed By:PREETI Signing Date:17.10.2025 19:39:19 W.P.(C) 14625/2025 with the dispute is opposed to principles of natural justice. There is, however, no doubt that the jurisdiction to issue a writ of certiorari is a supervisory jurisdiction and the Court exercising it is not entitled to act as an appellate Court. This limitation necessarily means that findings of fact reached by the inferior Court or Tribunal as result of the appreciation of evidence cannot be reopened or questioned in writ proceedings. An error of law which is apparent on the face of the record can be corrected by a writ, but not an error of fact, however grave it may appear to be. In regard to a finding of fact recorded by the Tribunal, a writ of certiorari can be issued if it is shown that in recording the said finding, the Tribunal had erroneously refused to admit admissible and material evidence, or had erroneously admitted inadmissible evidence which has influenced the impugned finding. Similarly, if a finding of fact is based on no evidence, that would be regarded as an error of law which can be corrected by a writ of certiorari. In dealing with this category of cases, however, we must always bear in mind that a finding of fact recorded by the Tribunal cannot be challenged in proceedings for a writ of certiorari on the ground that the relevant and material evidence adduced before the Tribunal was insufficient or inadequate to sustain the impugned finding. The adequacy or sufficiency of evidence led on a point and the inference of fact to be drawn from the said finding are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tribunal, and the said points cannot be agitated before a writ Court. It is within these limits that the jurisdiction conferred on the High Courts under Article 226 to issue a writ of certiorari can be legitimately exercised (vide Hari Vishnu Kamath v Syed Ahmad Ishaque6, Nagandra Nath Bora v Commissioner of Hills Division and Appeals Assam7 and Kaushalya Devi v Bachittar Singh8. It is, of course, not easy to define or adequately describe 8. what an error of law apparent on the face of the record means. What can be corrected by a writ has to be an error of law; hut it must be such an error of law as can be regarded as one which is apparent on the face of the record. Where it is manifest or clear that the conclusion of law recorded by an inferior Court or Tribunal is based on an obvious mis-interpretation of the relevant statutory provision, or sometimes in ignorance of it, or may be, even in disregard of it, or is expressly founded on reasons which are wrong in law, the said conclusion can be corrected by a writ of certiorari. In all these cases, the impugned conclusion should be so plainly inconsistent with the relevant statutory provision that no difficulty is experienced by the High Court in holding that the said error of law is apparent on the face of the record. It may also be