Allahabad High Court
Mohd. Danish Khan vs J. Ribha,Director Minority Welfare And ... on 17 May, 2024
Author: Rohit Ranjan Agarwal
Bench: Rohit Ranjan Agarwal
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
?Neutral Citation No. - 2024:AHC:89862
Court No. - 51
Case :- CONTEMPT APPLICATION (CIVIL) No. - 9177 of 2023
Applicant :- Mohd. Danish Khan
Opposite Party :- J. Ribha,Director Minority Welfare And Anther
Counsel for Applicant :- Akhilesh Kumar Singh
Hon'ble Rohit Ranjan Agarwal,J.
1. The writ Court on 19.05.2023 in Writ-A No. 7876 of 2023 passed the following order:-
"1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner, learned Standing Counsel for the State Respondent Nos.1, 2 & 4 and Sri Pranav Mishra, learned counsel for the Respondent Nos.3.
2. Mother of the petitioner while working as Assistant Teacher (Tahtaniya) in Darul Uloom Sarkar-E-Aasi, Sikandarpur, Ballia died on 30.08.2019. Other retiral benefits have been paid to the petitioner except the amount of Gratuity.
3. It appears that the amount of Gratuity has not been paid on the ground that option to retire at the age of 60 years was not exercised by the deceased employee.
4. Controversy in that regard has already been adjudicated by this Court in number of petitions. Reference can be had to the judgment of this Court in Writ Petition No.17399 of 2019 (Usha Rani Vs. State of U.P. and others), decided on 07.11.2019. Relevant portion of the aforesaid order is extracted hereinafter:-
"............
Following the decision rendered in the judgment of Noor Jahan (Supra) as well as Smt. Omwati (Supra), matter of Smt. Brijesh (Supra) for payment of gratuity was allowed by this Court by quashing the impugned orders by which gratuity was denied.
Similar controversy was also decided by Lucknow Bench of this Court vide order dated 5.8.2019 passed in the matter of Smt. Mala Tripathi (Supra) in which Court has taken a similar view and held that if husband of petitioner died before attaining the age of 60 years and has not given option for retirement at the age of 60 years, gratuity cannot be denied only on this ground. Relevant paragraph of the said judgment is quoted below:-
"Heard learned counsel for the contesting parties and perused the records.
From perusal of the records, it clearly comes out that the petitioner's husband died in harness on 26.08.2012 while working as Assistant Teacher in an aided and recognized institution. It is also admitted that the family pension has been paid to the petitioner. The only dispute revolves around the payment of gratuity to the petitioner. The ground taken by the respondents of the petitioner's husband not having opted for retiring at the age of 60 years which thus entails non-payment of gratuity to her at the very out set does not stand to legal scrutiny inasmuch as it is an admitted case by the respondents also that the petitioner's husband died in harness on 26.08.2012 despite his actual date of superannuation being November 2019. Thus, an employee is only expected to submit an option prior to his retirement and not decades prior to his retirement. However, this aspect of the matter has not been considered by the respondents and even the letter of the Institution dated 19.03.2014, a copy of which has been filed as Annexure-3 to the petition, does not address the aforesaid issue.
Accordingly, keeping in view the aforesaid discussions, the order dated 19.03.2014 (Annexure-3 to the petition) cannot be said to be valid in the eyes of law. As such, the writ petition deserves to be partly allowed and is hereby partly allowed. A writ of certiorari is issued quashing the order dated 19.03.2014. A writ of mandamus is issued directing the respondents to consider the case of the petitioner for payment of gratuity in accordance with law and relevant rules within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order."
Facts of the case and dispute involved in the present case is squarely covered by the pronouncements made by this Court which are referred herein above, therefore, under such facts and circumstances, impugned order dated 30.7.2019 passed by respondent No. 7- Block Education Officer Block Kadarchauk, District Badaun is hereby quashed.
Respondents are directed to compute the amount payable to the petitioner's husband towards gratuity in terms of the scheme and release the same, maximum within a period of three months from the date of production of certified copy of this order. ............"
5. It is also submitted by learned counsel for the petitioner that the petitioner has represented the matter in this regard before the Respondent No.4, District Minority Welfare Officer, Ballia, on 06.04.2023 but no orders have been passed till date.
6. Learned Standing counsel on the other hand submits that an appropriate direction may be issued to the Respondent Authority to examine the claim of the petitioner in the light of judgement in the case of Usha Rani (supra) within stipulated period.
7. In view of the aforesaid, the writ petition stands disposed of with the direction upon the Respondent No.4, District Minority Welfare Officer, Ballia, to decide the aforesaid representation of the petitioner in light of judgement in the case of Usha Rani (Supra) in accordance with law within a period of three months from the date of production of a certified copy of this order. All consequential action shall be taken without any further loss of time.
8. Petitioner's claim for gratuity shall not be rejected on the ground that "Option Form" has not been filled by the deceased employee."
2. From perusal of the order, it is clear that writ petition was disposed of with a direction to decide the representation of the applicant in the light of judgment rendered in case of Usha Rani vs. State of U.P. and others, Writ-A No. 17399 of 2019, decided on 07.11.2019.
3. A compliance affidavit has been filed on behalf of State wherein it has been stated that representation of the applicant has been decided on 27.01.2024.
4. Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant is entitled for gratuity in view of judgment rendered in Usha Rani (supra) as the gratuity is payable to the teachers of Madarasa. He submits that provisions are pari materia and benefits should be extended to the teachers thereto also.
5. Learned Standing counsel while opposing the writ petition submitted that the authorities after giving due consideration have arrived at a finding that the gratuity is being paid to the Assistant Teachers who were working in Junior High School pursuant to judgment rendered in case of Usha Rani (supra) and as per the Government Order dated 03.02.2023, there is no such policy for payment of gratuity in case of Madarasa as the new policy is under consideration and the husband of applicant having not exercised the option of retirement attaining the age of 60 years.
6. This Court after hearing both counsel for the parties finds that this is a disputed question of fact and writ Court had left it open to the authorities to decide the same which the authorities have done. This Court cannot delve into such disputed question of fact and adjudicate the matter on merits. If the applicant is aggrieved by the order passed by opposite party, he has option of challenging the same before the appropriate forum.
7. Moreover, the case of the applicant is distinguishable from that of Usha Rani (supra) as in case of Usha Rani, teachers who were working in Junior High School, the Court had held that in case option was not exercised and the teacher died before attaining the age of 60 years, the gratuity was payable. However, no such adjudication has been done in case of teachers of Madarasa. The matter is left open for the applicant to adjudicate before the appropriate forum, if so advised.
8. In view of above, the contempt application stands dismissed.
9. Contempt notice stands discharged.
Order Date :- 17.5.2024
V.S.Singh
