The High Court
Case Details
THE HIGH COURT OF MEGHALAYA AT SHILLONG. WP(C)[SH] No. 122 of 2013 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. JC-M/370458A Naib Subedar Nursing Assistant Gyan Singh Chauhan, Son of Biju Singh Chauhan, Assam Rifles Admn. Sports Unit, c/o/ Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya Pin 793011. M/371332M Hav/NA Dibakar Doley s/o Bilason Doley, c/o Directorate GeneralAssam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya Pin 793011. M/370537P Hav/NA Padma Kumar KG Son of K Gopala Pillai, Assam Rifles Admn Sports Unit, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifl;es, Shillong Meghalaya Pin 7930011. M/371014H Hav/NA Ashok Sarkar, s/o Dulal Chandra Sarkar, Assam Rifles Adm. Sports Unit, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya Pin 793011. M/370566K Hav/NA Chacko MG, s/o T. George, Assam Rifles Adm. Sports Unit, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. M/370595Y Hav/NA Bhupendra Kumar s/o Ramkhilawan Singh, Assam Rifles Admn. Sports Unit, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles,Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 1 7. 8. 9. M/371281K Hav/NA Dimbeswar Borgohain, s/o Rohit Borgohain, 17 Assam Rifles, through Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. M/370730F Hav/NA Mohanan Kumar N, s/o late Madhavan Pillai, Assam Rifles TB Hospital, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. M.371205X Hav/ NA Santu Bhattacharjee, s/o Subodh Bhattacharjee, Assam Rifles TB Hospital, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 10. M/371333P Rfn/NA Debashis Saha, s/o Narayan Chandra Saha, Assam Rifles TB Hospital, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 11. M/371221P Rfn/NA Rajeev Kumar Gupta, s/o Bijoy Narayan, Assam Rifles TB Hospital, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 12. M/371007M Hav/NA S K Singh, s/o Late Raghunmath Singh, Assam Rifles TB Hospital, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 13. M/371220M Hav/NA Rakesh Kumar Roy, s/o Ram Swaroop Roy, 3 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793001. 14. JC-M/370358P Nb/Sub (NA) Ganesh Thakur,s/o Ram Lachchan Thakur, Office of the IG, Assam Rifles (E), c/o Directorate General Assam Rifl;es, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 2 15. M/370517H Hav/NA Sabu Cherian, s/o PC Cherian, o/o IG, Assam Rifles (E), c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 16. M/371280F Hav/NA Robin Deka, s/o Nareshwar Deka, o/o IG, Assam Rifles (E), c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 17. M/370618P Hav/NA Ajith Kumar M, s/o N Madhavan, 2 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 18. M/370819N Hav/NA Rajendra Prasad Chamole, s/o SP Chamole, 2 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 19. M/370384W Hav/NA Kameshwar Kalita, s/o late Arbinda Kalita, 2 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 20. M/370662Y Hav/NA Niranjan Das, s/o Bhawaneshwar Das,38 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 21. M/371075A Hav/NA Mohan Singh Rawat, s/o B S Rawat, Transit Camp, Guwahati, Khanapara, PIN 781022. 22. M/370729M Hav/NA Jaya Kumar R, s/o N Raman Nair, 27 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 3 23. M/370594W Hav/NA Ajit Kumar Singh, s/o Brijnandan Prasad Singh, 2 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 24. M/371331K Rfn/NA Barun Biswas, s/o Binoy Bhushan Biswas, 13 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 25. M/370614Y Hav/NA Raja Gopalan Acharya, s/o Rama Lingam Acharya, 3 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 26. M/371299A Hav/NA R. Rajkumar, s/o R Ramasubba, 2 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 27. M/371177W Hav/NA Deshraj, s/o Buddhram, 5, Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 28. M/371060X Hav/NA Pappu Yadav, s/o Rai Singh, 13 SRG, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 29. M/370373K Hav/NA T N Sadhashivan, s/o T K Nanu, 12 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 30. M/370558L Hav/NA Ranjit Deb Nath, s/o late Niranjan Deb Nath, 8 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 4 31. JC-M/370397N Nb/Sub (NA) D K Deka, s/o Manohari Deka, 2 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 32. M/371308W Hav/NA Prakesh D, s/o Dhansukodi K, 2 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 33. M/370452Y Hav/NA Vinod Ram, s/o Ambika Prasad, Assam Rifles Construction and Medical Company, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 34. M/371218P Hav/NA Mahesh Tanti, s/o Late Nijru Tanti, Assam Rifles Construction and Medical Company, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 35. M/371344F Rfn/NA Bharat Singh, s/o Meharban Singh, 35 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 36. M/371363M Rfn/NA Rajender Singh, s/o Late Ragubi Singh, 35 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 37. M/370562M Hav/NA P B Dhar, s/o Late Rabindra Dhar, 2 Maintenance Group Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifels, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 38. M/37106591 Hav/NA P N Das, s/o Late Tarak Das, 1 Maintenance Group Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 5 39. M/370818L Hav/NA K S Kathait, s/o Late Udyai Singh, 38 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 40. M/370904W Hav/NA Prem Singh, s/o late Ram Swroop, 29 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 41. M/370419F NB/SUB (NA) Kartar Chand Patil, s/o Late Walayati Chand Patil, 44 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 42. M/370603M Hav/NA Sankar Banik, s/o Late Paresh Ch Banik, 35 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 43. M/370376X SUB (NA) Ravinder Kumar DHiman, s/o Sarabdyai Dhiman, 15 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 44. M/371378P Rfn/NA Dalbir Singh, s/o Harman Singh, 15 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 45. M/370620M Nb/Sub (NA) Rajen Das, s/o Late Ram Joy Das, 45 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 46. M/370636X Hav/NA B K Ghosh, s/o Balram Ghosh, 45 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillopng Meghalaya PIN 793011. 6 47. M/371153M Hav/NA Awadesh Singh, s/o late Basudev Singh, 45 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 48. M/371330F Rfn/NA A C Biswas, s/o Subodh Kumar Biswas, 45 Assam Rifles, c/o Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 49. M/371452L Rfn/NA Billung Ng, S/o. Ngoulung, 45 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 50. M/3713541 Rfn/NA G K Deori S/o. (L) Garia Deori, 22 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 51. M/370663X Hav/NA B K Sharma, S/o. Yogendra Sharma, 31 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 52. M/370567K Hav/NA Sambu Roy, S/o. Bishun Dayal Roy, 31 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 53. M/370908W Hav/NA M K Gupta, S/o. S D P Gupta, 31 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 54. M/370850A Hav/NA Surendra Nath, S/o. Achudhan Pillai, 31 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 55. JC-M/370324F Nb/Sub (NA) K G Thampi, S/o. Krishna Pillai, 38 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 7 56. M/371481A Rfn/NA Madan Kumar Mahato, S/o. Parnu Mahato, 38 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 57. M/371450 A Rfn/NA Babun Bhomik, S/o. Subal Bhomik, 24 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 58. M/371018Y Hav/NA J S P Tamta, S/o. L R Tamta, 24 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 59. M/371348X Rfn/NA Sanjay Medhi, S/o. Jiten Medhi, 21 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 60. M/370945M Hav/NA B S Yadav, S/o. (L) Kailash Prasad, 31 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 61. M/371307N Hav/NA Muniraj, S/o. Muniswamy, 42 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 62. M/370478N Nb/Sub/NA J S L Sahu, S/o. (L) Laxmi Sahu, 26 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 63. M/370575 L Hav/NA RK Tiwari, S/o. Jagadish Prasad Tiwari, 31 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 64. M/370657 N Hav/NA Radhakrishnan M, S/o. Subhramonyam, 44 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 8 65. M/370854 W Hav/NA Bhupal Singh, S/o. Kundan Singh, 44 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 66. M/370670 X Hav/NA Rajan Rana, S/o. Ram Singh Rana, 44 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 67. M/370641H Hav/NA Joy J, S/o. Joseph K, 44 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 68. M/371077 L Hav/NA V S Dhaka, S/o. Aktar Singh, 44 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 69. M/371250 K Hav/NA Mahadev Sharma, S/o. Ganga Ram Sharma, 44 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 70. M/371438 Y Rfn/NA Piar Chand, S/o. Roshan Lal, 44 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 71. M/371324 N Rfn/NA Ajai Kumar, S/o. Kishori Lal, 14 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 72. M/371328 K Rfn/NA Saju R, S/o. Rajan Kutty, 14 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 73. M/371347 P Rfn/NA Ajay Kumar Tripati, Siridhar Tripati, 25 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 9 74. M/371175 L Hav/NA Vijay Pal, S/o. Kali Ram, 25 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 75. M/371087 P Hav/NA Ghan Shyam, S/o. Hari Ram, 31 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 76. M/371183 K Hav/NA Naresh Rai, S/o. Ramesh Ch Rai, 14 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 77. M/371035 Y Hav/NA Dandapani Upadhyay, S/o. Udananda Upadhyay, 2 Dental Unit Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 78. M/371196 F Hav/NA Vinod Sharma, S/o. R. Sharma, 24 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 79. M/371355 L Rfn/NA Tukhen Sonowal, S/o. (L) Cheniram Sonowal, 16 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 80. M/370852 L Hav/NA B K Jaiswal, S/o. Ramji Jaiswal, 31 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 81. JC-370946 H Naib Subedar/NA P. Rufas, S/o. (L) TH Pozii, 14 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 82. M/371253 X Hav/NA Prem Prasad Sanggrola, S/o. Dinanath Sanggrola, 15 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. …….Petitioners 10 (The Petitioners are pursuing a common cause and are therefore approaching this Hon’ble Court by a joint petition) -VERSUS- The Union of India, Represented by the Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi – 110001. The Director General, Assam Rifles, HQ DGAR Assam Rifles, Shillong, Meghalaya, PIN 793011. The Deputy Inspector General, Medical Branch, HQ DGAR, Assam Rifles, Shillong, Meghalaya, PIN 793011. 1. 2. 3. ………..Respondents
Legal Reasoning
“12. As observed by this Court in State of Orissa v. Sudhansu Kekhar Misra (AIR 1968 SC 647) (vide AIR pp. 651-52, para 13): “13…..A decision is only an authority for what it actually decides. What is of the essence in a decision is its ratio and not every observation found therein nor what logically follows from the various observations made in it. On this topic this is what Earl of Halsbury, L.C. said in Quinn v. Leathem (1901 AC 495 : (1900-03) All ER Rep 1 (HL) (All ER p.7 G- I). „Before discussing Allen V. Flood (1898 AC 1 : (1895-99) All ER Rep 52 (HL) and what was decided therein, there are two observations of a general character which I wish to make; and one is to repeat what I have very often said before – that every the judgment must be read as applicable to 12 particular facts proved, or assumed to be proved, since the generality of the expressions which may be found there are not intended to be expositions of the whole law, but are governed and qualified by the particular facts of the case in which such expressions are to be found. The other is that a case is only an authority for what it actually decides. I entirely deny that it can be quoted for a proposition that may seem to follow logically from it. Such a mode of reasoning assumes that the law is necessarily a logical code, whereas every lawyer must acknowledge that the law is not always logical at all.‟ ” In Ambica Quarry Works v. State of Gujarat “13. (1987) 1 SCC 213 (vide SCC p. 221, para 18) this Court observed: “18….The ratio of any decision must be understood in the background of the facts of that case. It has been said long time ago that a case is only an authority for what it actually decides, and not what logically follows from it.” In Bhavnagar University v. Palitana Sugar Mill “14. (P) Ltd [(2003) 2 SCC 111] (vide SCC p. 130, para 59) this Court observed : “59….It is also well settled that a little difference in facts or additional facts may make a lot of difference in the precedential value of a decision.”
Arguments
THE HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE T. NANDAKUMAR SINGH, CHIEF JUSTICE (ACTING) BEFORE For the petitioner For the respondents Date of hearing Date of Judgment and Order : : : : : : : R.Mazumdar, Adv. H. Bezbarua, Adv A.Kumar, Adv R.Dutta, Adv N.Khan, CGC 19-8-2013 19-8-2013 JUDGMENT AND ORDER (ORAL) Heard Mr. R. Mazumdar, learned counsel appearing for the petitioners and also Mr. N. Khan, learned CGC appearing for the respondents. 2. The only case of the petitioners is that the present writ petition is squarely covered by the earlier decision of the erstwhile Guwahati High Court (Division Bench) dated 25-5-2012 passed in writ appeal No. [SH] 1 of 2011 filed 11 against the Judgment and Order of the learned Single Judge allowing the writ petition i.e. WP(C) No. [SH] 279/2009 filed by the 51 nursing assistants of the Assam Rifles. 3. Mr. N.Khan, learned CGC appearing for the respondents i.e. the appellants in writ appeal No. [SH] 1/2011 contended that the Court needs the interpretation or clarification of the meaning of the “Nursing Assistant” working in the Assam Rifles, inasmuch as the appellants received a letter from the MHA (Police Finance) regarding the meaning of “Nursing Assistants”. 4. It is a well settled principle of interpretation that the judgment and decision of the Court is to be understood in the light of the fact of the case. The writ appeal No. [SH] 1/2011 is admittedly in relation with the nursing assistants serving in the Assam Rifles. It is nobody’s dispute that the present writ petitioners are also nursing assistants serving in the Assam Rifles. The Court is not interpreting the judgment and order, the Court only interprets the statutes and the words of the judgment cannot be interpreted like that of the statutes. The Court only read the judgment and understood the meaning of the judgment in the light of the words mentioned in the judgment itself. The Apex Court in U.P. State Electricity Board Versus Pooran Chandra Pandey and Others: (2007) 11 SCC 92 held that: