Allahabad High Court
Jitendra Kumar vs State Of U.P. Through Principal ... on 9 July, 2019
Bench: Ashwani Kumar Mishra
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
?Court No. - 38
Case :- WRIT - A No. - 6297 of 2019
Petitioner :- Jitendra Kumar
Respondent :- State Of U.P. Through Principal Secretary Home, Lucknow And Another
Counsel for Petitioner :- Hira Lal Yadav,Sunil Kumar
Counsel for Respondent :- C.S.C.
Hon'ble Ashwani Kumar Mishra,J.
Petitioner had applied for appointment to the post of Constable in U.P. Police, pursuant to recruitment exercise initiated on 29th December, 2015. He has scored 394.66 marks while the cut-off in respect of scheduled caste (male) category is 377.07. Petitioner although was called upon to appear for physical standard test and document verification but has not been sent for medical examination. It is stated that once the petitioner scored marks above the cut-off, there would be no justification for the respondents not to consider his claim.
Taking cognizance of such grievance, this Court on 23rd April, 2019, called upon the learned Standing Counsel to obtain instructions. Subsequent orders were passed in the matter on 17.5.2019 and 5.7.2019. Learned Standing Counsel has obtained instructions, copy of which is taken on record. According to learned Standing Counsel petitioner has been treated in the unreserved category, as at the time of document verification, he has produced a caste certificate distinct from what had been specified in his application form.
Petitioner alongwith the writ petition has brought on record a caste certificate issued by the competent authority bearing Caste Certificate No. 612134000168. It appears that petitioner has also obtained another Caste Certificate No. 612164003548, dated 30th April, 2016, which has been produced at the time of document verification, according to the respondents, but the same has been ignored. It is, however, not disputed on behalf of the respondents that petitioner does belong to scheduled caste category and a valid certificate in that regard has been issued to him.
Learned counsel for the petitioner, on the other hand, has placed reliance upon a judgment of Apex Court in Ram Kumar Gijoroya Vs. Delhi Subordinate Service Selection Board and another 2016(4) SCC 754. Reliance is placed upon para 16 of the judgment, which reads as under:
"16. In the case of Pushpa (supra), relevant paragraphs from the case of Tej Pal Singh (supra) have also been extracted, which read thus :-
"11......
17. The matter can be looked into from another angle also. As per the advertisement dated 11th June, 1999 issued by the Board, vacancies are reserved for various categories including 'SC' category. Thus in order to be considered for the post reserved for 'SC' category, the requirement is that a person should belong to 'SC' category. If a person is SC his is so by birth and not by acquisition of this category because of any other event happening at a later stage. A certificate issued by competent authority to this effect is only an affirmation of fact which is already in existence. The purpose of such certificate is to enable the authorities to believe in the assertion of the candidate that he belongs to 'SC' category and act thereon by giving the benefit to such candidate for his belonging to 'SC' category. It is not that petitioners did not belong to 'SC' category prior to 30th June, 1998 or that acquired the status of being 'SC' only on the date of issuance of the certificate. In view of this position, necessitating upon a certificate dated prior to 30th June, 1998 would be clearly arbitrary and it has no rationale objective sought to be achieved.
18. While taking a particular view in such matters one has to keep in mind the objectives behind the post of SC and ST categories as per constitutional mandate prescribed in Articles 15(4) and 16(4) which are enabling provisions authorising the Government to make special provisions for the persons of SC and ST categories. Articles 14(4) and 16(4), therefore, intend to remove social and economic inequality to make equal opportunities available in reality. Social and economic justice is a right enshrined for protection of society. The right in social and economic justice envisaged in the Preamble and elongated in the Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of the Constitution, in particular Arts. 14, 15, 16, 21, 38, 39 and 46 are to make the quality of the life of the poor, disadvantaged and disabled citizens of the society meaningful."
Petitioner states that he had produced both the certificates at the time of document verification but the authorities have merely referred to one. In the opinion of the Court, once it is admitted that petitioner belongs to Scheduled Caste Category and certificate in that regard has been issued by the competent authority, merely because petitioner has produced certificate of a different date, would not be a sufficient ground to discard consideration to petitioner's claim. Both the certificates otherwise are as per the Presidential Order (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950, as modified in 1967 and the authorities would not be justified in treating the petitioner to be unreserved candidate.
In that view of the matter, this writ petition stands disposed of with a direction upon the authority concerned to treat petitioner's claim for appointment as a scheduled caste category candidate and in case he is found to have scored the marks above the cut off, his candidature would be processed further in accordance with law. The verification of caste certificate would otherwise remain open for the respondents.
Order Date :- 9.7.2019
Ranjeet Sahu
