The High Court
Case Details
THE HIGH COURT OF MEGHALAYA AT SHILLONG. WP(C)[SH] No. 192 of 2013 1. M/370956 HAV/NA Shree Ram Chauhan, S/o. Sita Ram Chauhan, 21 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 2. M/371235 HAV/NA R K Sharma, S/o. Nanak Chand, 46 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011 3. M/371227 HAV/NA Bhupal Singh, S/o. (L) Ganga Singh, 35 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 4. M/371367 Rfn/NA Kuldeep Singh, S/o. Jagdish Singh, 40 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 5. M/371480 Rfn/NA S A Ahmed, S/o. Fazal Houque, 7 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 6. M/371059 HAV/NA Harish Singh Bisht, S/o. Kunwar Singh Bisht, 27 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 7. M/370576 HAV/NA S A Hussain, S/o. (L) Badhuruddin Khandakar, 7 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 8. M/371290 HAV/NA Mahender Singh, S/o. (L) Zafgar Singh, 8 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 1 9. M/370957 HAV/NA Prem Kumar, S/o. (L) Ramkrishnan, 11 SRG-NSG, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 10. M/370711 NB/SUB/Nursing Assistant Hepster Lomgte, S/o. (L) S Nonglog, 11 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 11. M/371418 Rfn/NA T. A Kikon, S/o. Thung Mom Kikon, 28 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 12. M/370482 HAV/NA Navinderjit Singh, S/o. (L) Darshan Singh, 5 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 13. M/370768 HAV/NA Madneshwar Jha, S/o. P N Jha, 11 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 14. M/371411 Rfn/NA Ashok Kumar, S/o. Chhangu Ram, 36 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 15. M/371400 Rfn/NA Mao Sunep Ao, S/o. Opangtemgen AO, 8 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 16. M/370934 HAV/NA Rup Lal, S/o. (L) Mangat Ram, 11 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 17. M/371403 Rfn/NA Longhen Khiam, S/o. Longkhoi Khiam, 35 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 18. M/371336 Rfn/NA Md. Badrul Rahman, S/o. Dulal Seikh, 19 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 2 19. M/371417 Rfn/NA B. Yopha Konyak, S/o. Banthak, 7 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 20. M/371002 HAV/NA Dharam Chand, S/o. Prabhu Ram, 21 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 21. M/370748 HAV/NA Hari Har Rai, S/o. (L) Nandan Rai, 26 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 22. M/371078 HAV/NA Jaswinder Singh, S/o. Jai Bhagwan Singh, 20 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 23. M/370691 HAV/NA Bala Chandran T, S/o. Krishnan Melonkky, 29 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 24. M/370601 HAV/NA G. S. Mishr, S/o. G.G.M. Mishra, 20 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 25. M/370420 NB/SUB/NA Shiv Sharan Singh, S/o. (L) Dina Nath Singh, 29 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 26. M/371368 Rfn/NA Anup Rai, S/o. Akshayawer Rai, 29 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 27. M/371487 Rfn/NA M..K. Panday, S/o. B.K. Panday, 29 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 28. M/371488 Rfn/NA B.N. Gupta, S/o. Govind Prasad Gupta, 20 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 3 29. M/370758 HAV/NA Soleman P, S/o. Peerus, 20 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 30. M/371395 HAV/NA Birender Singh, S/o. Kedar Singh, 35 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 31. M/371034 Rfn/NA O. Harendra Singha, S/o. (L) O. Gulab Singh, 8 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 32. M/371033 HAV/NA Vivek Kumar, S/o. Pulish Ray, 17 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 33. M/371172 HAV/NA R.K. Panday, S/o. B.K. Panday, 7 Assam rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 34. M/371408 Rfn/NA Tsering Khandu Bapu, S/o. Wangdi, 7 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 35. M/371190 HAV/NA Mahesh Chand Parihar, S/o. (L) Banwari Lal, 16 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 36. M/371229 HAV/NA Rajesh Kumar, S/o. Lal Chand, 42 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 37. M/371445 Rfn/NA Amarjit Singh, S/o. (L) Sambhu Prasad, 19 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 38. M/371393 Rfn/NA Dhirender Singh, S/o. Khushal Singh, 35 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 4 39. M/370770 HAV/NA Jawahar Mahato, S/o. Tulshi Mahato, 20 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 40. M/370528 HAV/NA M.S. Unnithan, S/o. (L) Achuthan Nair, 42 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 41. M/370627 HAV/NA Pushpa Kumar PR, S/o. (L) N Raghuvan, 25 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 42. M/370491 NB/SUB/NA Indira Deo Mandal, S/o. Rameshwar Mandal, 27 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 43. M/370644 HAV/NA George Kutty D, S/o. (L) V. Daniel, 27 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 44. M/370718 HAV/NA B.K. Gurung, S/o. (L) L.B. Gurung, 45 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 45. M/371495 Rfn/NA Syam K.S., S/o. N. Sasidharan, 4 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 46. M/371212 HAV/NA Kanhaiya Lal Yogi, S/o. Jagdish Prasad Yogi, 16 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 47. M/370651 NB/SUB/NA Dalbir Singh, S/o. (L) AMI Chand, 19 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 48. M/371402 Rfn/NA Somba Chang, S/o. Mongko Chang, 34 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 5 49. M/371241 HAV/NA Sukhveer Singh, S/o. (L) Jaswant Singh, 42 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 50. M/371151 HAV/NA Dinesh Birsingh, S/o. (L) H.B. Chhetry, 10 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 51. M/371199 HAV/NA Dinesh Kumar Mahapatra, S/o. Krishna Chandra Mahapatra, 7 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 52. M/371165 HAV/NA Mahender Singh, S/o. Balwant Singh, 11 SRG-NSG, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. 53. M/371429 HAV/NA Arambam Ingo Singh, S/o. A. Niladhaja Singh, 36 Assam Rifles, C/o. Directorate General Assam Rifles, Shillong Meghalaya PIN 793011. ………..Petitioners (The Petitioners are pursuing a common cause and are therefore approaching this Hon’ble Court by a joint petition) -VERSUS- 1. The Union of India, Represented by the Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi –110001. 2. The Director General, Assam Rifles, HQ DGAR Assam Rifles, Shillong, Meghalaya-793011. 3. The Deputy Inspector General, Medical Branch, HQ DGAR, Assam Rifles, Shillong, Meghalaya – 793011. ………Respondents 6
Legal Reasoning
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 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 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 7 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: “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): is “13…..A decision is only an authority for what it actually decides. What is of the essence its ratio and not every in a decision 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). are there therein, decided „Before discussing Allen V. Flood (1898 AC 1 : (1895-99) All ER Rep 52 (HL) and what was 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 judgment must be read as applicable to the 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 “13. Gujarat (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 “14. Mill (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.” 8