✦ Bombay High Court · 06 May 2011

Vasana Panchcroshi Shikshan Sanstha, Ambawade (S.W.) v. Shri Khamkar Popatrao Narayan & Ors.

Case Details Bombay High Court · 06 May 2011
Court
Bombay High Court
Case No.
Writ Petition No. 6414 of 1997
Decided
06 May 2011
Length
1,969 words

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Original judgment text

School from first day of the beginning of the School on and   from   9.6.82.     Thereafter,   because   of   some   dispute among   the   school   management,   they   terminated respondent s service by order dt.13.10.89.  Being aggrieved ’ by the termination order, the respondent filed appeal no. 113 of 1989 on 15.11.89 before the School Tribunal at Pune.

4. The   School   Tribunal   by   its   order   dt.5.3.82   allowed   the respondent s   appeal.       Thereafter,   the   petitioner   filed ’ Misc.Application No.7 of 1992 before the School Tribunal in appeal   no.113   of   1989   for   review   of   the   judgment   and order dt.5.3.92 passed by the School Tribunal.   The said Misc.Application   was   dismissed   by   the   learned   Presiding 3 Officer, School Tribunal, Pune on 15.11.94.   Thereafter, the petitioner   preferred  Writ  Petition  No.754  of  1995  in  this court challenging the order dt.5.3.92 passed by the learned Presiding   Officer,   School   Tribunal   Pune   Region,   Pune   in appeal   no.113   of   1989   and   the   order   dt.15.11.94   in Misc.Appeal   No.7   of   1992.     The   said   Writ   Petition   was dismissed by Division Bench of this court (Coram: B.P.Saraf and Mr.A.V.Sawant, JJ) by order dt.23.3.95.

5. Thereafter, the respondent filed the Contempt Petition  no. 25  of  1996  in  this  court  for  taking     action  against   the petitioner  for non­compliance of order dt.5.3.92 passed by the School Tribunal at Pune in Appeal No.113 of 1989.  In that   contempt   petition,   this   court   (Coram:   K.K.Baam,   J) passed   an   order   on   25.3.96   directing   the   petitioner     to allow the respondents to join the services.  As per the said order,   the   petitioner   joined   the   services   on   2.4.96. Thereafter   the   respondent   called   upon   the   petitioner   to make the payment of back wages as per the order passed by   School   Tribunal   dt.5.3.92   in   appeal   no.113   of   1989, Inspite of several reminders, the petitioner failed to pay 4 the   same   and   therefore,   the   respondent   filed   Contempt Application   No.14   of   1997   before   the   School   Tribunal, Kolhapur at Kolhapur.   In the said contempt application, petitioner  filed  their  written  statement  dt.8.8.97.   In   the said   contempt   application,   the   Tribunal   passed   an impugned order dt.13.10.97.

6. Being   aggrieved   by   the   order   dt.13.10.97   passed   by   the learned Presiding Officer, School Tribunal, Kolhapur Region, Kolhapr below Ex.1 in Cont.Application No.14 of 1997, the petitioner preferred this Writ Petition.

7. The  learned  counsel  for   the  petitioner   submits that  the impugned order dt.13.10.97 passed by the learned Presiding Officer is against justice, equity and good conscience and same is liable to be set aside.  He further submits that the learned   Presiding   Officer   passed   the   impugned   order without any Jurisdiction and therefore, the same is liable to be set aside.

8. The  learned  counsel  for   the  petitioner   submits that  the Contempt   Application   filed   by   respondent   before   the School   Tribunal   is   not   maintainable   for   want   of 5 Jurisdiction.  He submits that there is no provision under the Maharashtra Employees of Private Schools (Condition of Service) Regulation Act, 1997 (hereinafter referred to as the   said   Act)   for   preferring   Contempt   Petition   to implement the order passed by the Tribunal.   He further submits that even the said Contempt  Application  is not maintainable under section 13 of the said Act.  In support of the contention, he relies on the judgment in the matter of Mohammad Salam Anamum Haque vs. S.A.Azmi and others reported in 2001(1) Mh.L.J. 249.  In that case, our High   Court   held   that     Contempt   Petition   under   the Contempt of Court Act is not maintainable for   violating the orders passed by School Tribunal under the said Act. It is held that the order passed by the School Tribunal is an order   within   the   meaning   of   section   2(14)   of   the   Civil Procedure   Code   and   the   same   is   executable   under   the provisions   of   the   Civil   Procedure   Code.     So   far   as   the execution of the order passed by the School Tribunal is concerned, either the School Tribunal may itself execute the   same   or   may   transfer   the   same   for   execution   to 6 another court under the Civil Procedure Code.  It is to be noted here that this particular ground is not raised by the petitioner in the present petition, and therefore, there is no question of considering the same.

9. He further submits that the School Tribunal exceeded its Jurisdiction   and   granted   back   wages   from   the   date   of termination till reinstatement.  He submits that though the petitioner by  their letter 13.3.92 called upon respondent to join   the   services   as   per   the   order   passed   by   School Tribunal, the respondent failed and neglected to join the services and therefore, he is not entitled to back wages from 13.3.92 till 2.4.96.  He submits that on the principle of no work no payment, respondent is not  entitled to back wages.  It is to be noted that the letter dt.13.3.92 on which the petitioner   placed reliance was not produced before the trial court at all.  They placed the same on record for the first time in the present petition.

10. The learned counsel for the petitioner further submits that in any case, they are not liable to make payment of back wages to the petitioner.  Responsibility goes on respondent 7 nos.2 and 3 because their school is 100% aided school.  In view   of   these   submissions,   the   learned   counsel   for   the petitioner submits that the tribunal erred in directing the petitioner to pay back wages to the respondent from the date of termination till the date of reinstatement.

11. On the other hand, the learned counsel for respondent no. 1 vehemently opposed the present petition.   He submits that   the   Tribunal   by   its   order   dt.13.10.97   directed   the petitioner to comply the original order passed by Tribunal dt.5.3.92 in appeal no.113 of 1989.   Therefore, there is no question of exceeding the Jurisdiction by the Tribunal at the time of passing the impugned order dt.13.10.97.   The learned counsel for the respondent no.1 submits that the petitioner for the first time   raised the said objection in the   present   Writ   Petition.     He   submits   that   in   view   of section 21 of the Civil Procedure Code, the petitioner is precluded from raising new issue first time at appellate stage and therefore, there is no merits in this petition.

12. He further submits that the Tribunal has Jurisdiction to entertain   the   application   for   enforcement   of   their   own 8 orders.  He submits that even in the matter of Mohammad Salal Anamul Haque (supra) cited by the petitioner, this court   categorically   held   that   the   School   Tribunal   either may itself execute their own orders or can transfer the same   for   execution   to   another   court   under   the   Civil Procedure   Code.   Therefore,   the   action   taken   by   the Tribunal for execution of order dated 5.3.92 is  within the Jurisdiction.

13. The learned counsel for the respondent submits that as soon as the order was passed by Tribunal dt.5.3.92 allowing their appeal, the respondent intimated the petitioner and called   upon   them   to   allow   the   respondent   to   join   the services immediately.  Inspite of allowing the respondent to join the services as per the order dt.5.3.92 passed by the Tribunal, the petitioner preferred Misc.Application No.7 of 1992 for review of the Judgment and order dt.5.3.92.  The said   Review   Petition     was   dismissed   on   15.11.94   and thereafter, the petitioner preferred writ petition  no.7454 of 1995 in this court.   The said Writ Petition was dismissed by Division Bench order dt.23.3.95.  Inspite of the Division 9 Bench s   order,   the   petitioner   failed   and   neglected   to ’ implement the tribunal s order dt.5.3.92 in its entirity and ’ therefore,   the   respondent   was   constrained   to   file   the contempt   application   before   the   School   Tribunal.     He submits that in view of the provisions of the said Act, the Tribunal   has   jurisdiction   to     entertain   the   contempt application.     Therefore,   there   is   no   substance   in   the present   Writ   Petition   and   the   same   is   liable   to   be dismissed with costs.

14. With   the   assistance   of   both   the   counsel,   I   have   gone through the papers of Contempt Petition No.25 of 1996 and other documents which are on record.  Admittedly, in the present case, a termination order dt.13.10.89 passed by the petitioner is set aside by the School Tribunal on 5.3.92 in appeal no.113 of 1989.  Thereafter, the petitioner preferred Review Application.   The same was dismissed by School Tribunal.     The   petitioner   also   preferred   writ   petition challenging the order passed by School Tribunal in Appeal No.113 of 1989 and in review application no.7 of 1992.  The said Writ Petition was dismissed by Division Bench of this 10 court.  Inspite of that, the petitioner failed to comply with the order passed by the School Tribunal.   Thereafter, the respondent preferred contempt petition no.25 of 1996.   In that contempt petition, this court passed an order on 2.4.86 and   thereafter,   the   petitioner  allowed   the   respondent   to join   his   services   but   failed   to   pay   back   wages.     The learned counsel for the respondent no.1 submitted that on several   occasions,   respondent   no.1   called   upon   the petitioner management to comply with the order passed by Tribunal in appeal no.113 of 1989, but they failed and neglected to  do so.

15. He   further   submits   that   the   objections   raised   by   the learned   counsel   for   the   petitioner   in   the   present proceedings   are   not   tenable.     He   submits   that   the Contempt   Application   No.14   of   1997   was   filed   by   the respondent no.1 only for the recovery of his back wages which they are entitled.  Therefore, there is no question of raising the point of Jurisdiction at this appellate stage.  In any case, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the court can consider only illegality of the order on the face 11 of it without going into the credibility of the evidence on record and documents produced by the parties.   Though the   petitioner   submitted   that   they   by   their   letter   dated

13.3.92 called upon the respondent no.1 to join the services, he failed and neglected to do so cannot be considered for payment of back wages.  Admittedly, after the order passed by   Tribunal   in   appeal   no.113   of   1989,   the   petitioner preferred   Revision   Application.   The   said   Revision Application   was   dismissed   on   15.11.94.     Thereafter, immediately petitioner preferred writ petition 754 of 1995. Same was dismissed by Division Bench of this court on

23.3.95   and   thereafter,   respondent   preferred   Contempt Petition   No.25   of   1996.     In   that   Contempt   Petition,   this court passed order on 25.3.96.  These dates show that the petitioner on his own delayed the implementation of the order dt.5.3.92 passed by the Tribunal in appeal no.113 of

1989.  Therefore, there is no question of delay in filing the contempt application in 1997 i.e. after five  years.

16. Considering the provisions of the said Act and particularly section   13   of   the   said   Act,   it   is   clear   that   the   School 12 Tribunal can pass appropriate orders for executing   their orders in separate proceedings.  In view of these facts and circumstances,   I   do   not   find   any   substance   in   the submission made by the learned counsel for the petitioner. Petition stands rejected with no order as to costs. (K.K.TATED,J.)

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