Supreme Court of India

State Of Haryana And Anr. vs Rattan Singh on 22 March, 1 !!

"#uiva$ent citations% AIR 1 !! SC 1&12, 1 !! 'a($C )*&, +1 )2, I''- *. SC Author: V K Iyer /ench% - Singh, R Sar0aria, 1 2 Iyer JUDGMENT V.R. Krishna Iyer, J. 1. Shree Pa Sin!h has "i!orous y a#"o$ate# the $ase o% the res&on#ent an# 'e ha"e istene# to hi( &atient y so that his stu#ious &re&aration (ay not !o unhee#e#. E"en so, 'e are in$ ine# to a o' the a&&ea in the $ir$u(stan$es o% the $ase. )e (ay (a*e it $ ear, ri!ht at the +e!innin!, that the a' that is a&& i$a+ e is not in #is&ute +ut the %a$ts an# $ir$u(stan$es o% $ases (ay #i%%er 'hen the a&& i$ation i% a' is $a e# %or. ,. In the &resent $ase, 'e (ay set out +rie% y the ne$essary %a$ts. The -aryana Roa#'ays is a State trans&ort un#erta*in! an# the res&on#ent +e%ore us is a (e(+er o% the runnin! sta%%, a $on#u$tor, 'hose .o+ is to $o e$t %ares %ro( &assen!ers an# issue ti$*ets to the(. Pro+a+ y +e$ause $on#u$tors 'ere $o e$tin! %ares +ut not issuin! ti$*ets a syste( o% % yin! s/ua#s 'as in o&eration in the -aryana State %or the &ur&oses o% $he$*in! the &ro&er $o e$tion o% %ares +y $on#u$t0rs. The res&on#ent +e%ore us, 'hi e on #uty on +us 1-RA21,3,4 on its tri& %ro( Pa 'a to Kho#u &at, 'as the $on#u$tor 'hose "ehi$ e 'as o"erta*en +y the % yin! s/ua#. The s/ua# sto&&e# the +us an# its ins&e$tor #is$o"ere# that %our &assen!ers ha# a i!hte# at 5a(ini Khe#a 'ithout ti$*ets an# that 11 &assen!ers tra"e in! in the +us a so #i# not ha"e ti$*ets a thou!h they $ ai(e# to ha"e &ai# the %ares. A re&ort %o o'e#, a $har!e sheet ensue#, a #o(esti$ in/uiry 'as he #, !ui t esta+ ishe# an# si(& e ter(ination o% ser"i$es e%%e$te#. The res&on#ent hastene# to the $i"i $ourt %or a #e$ aration that the or#er o% ter(ination in the #is$i& inary en/uiry 'as a nu ity an# he (ust there%ore +e !i"en a #e$ aration o% $ontinuan$e in ser"i$e. The tria $ourt, on the e"i#en$e, 'as ta*en in +y this & ea an# the a&&e ate $ourt a so a%%ir(e# it. The -i!h 6ourt #is(isse# the Se$on# a&&ea in i(ine. The State has $o(e +y s&e$ia ea"e 'ith this a&&ea . 7. The &rin$i&a !roun# on 'hi$h the $ourts +e o' ha"e #e$ are# the ter(ination +a# is that none o% the 11 &assen!ers ha"e +een e8a(ine# at the #o(esti$ en/uiry. Se$on# y, it has +een (entione# that there is a #e&art(enta instru$tion that $he$*in! ins&e$tors shou # re$or# the state(ents o% &assen!ers, 'hi$h 'as not #one in this $ase. The e8& anation o% the State, as #one out +y the re$or#, is that the ins&e$tor o% the % yin! s/ua# 'ho ha# sai# that they ha# &ai# the %ares +ut they #e$ ine# to !i"e su$h 'ritten state(ent. The thir# roun# 'hi$h 'ei!he# 'ith the $ourts 'as, &erha&s, that the $o2$on#u$tor in the +us ha# su&&orte# 'ith this e"i#en$e, the !ui t essness o% the res&on#ent. 9. It is 'e sett e# that in a #o(esti$ en/uiry the stri$t an# so&histi$ate# ru es o% e"i#en$e un#er the In#ian E"i#en$e A$t (ay not a&& y. Ai (ateria s 'hi$h are o!i$a y &ro+ati"e %or a &ru#ent (in# are &er(issi+ e. There is no a er!y to hearsay e"i#en$e &ro"i#e# it has reasona+ e ne8us an# $re#i+i ity. It is true that #e&art(enta authorities an# a#(inistrati"e tri+una s (ust +e $are%u in e"a uatin! su$h (ateria an# shou # not ! i+ y s'a o' 'hat is stri$t y s&ea*in! not re e"ant un#er the In#ian E"i#en$e A$t. :or this &ro&osition it is not ne$essary to $ite #e$isions nor te8t +oo*s, a thou!h 'e ha"e +een ta*en throu!h $ase a' an# other authorities +y $ounse on +oth si#es. The essen$e o% a .u#i$ia a&&roa$h is o+.e$ti"ity, e8$ usion o% e8traneous (ateria s or $onsi#erations an# o+ser"an$e o% ru es o% natura .usti$e. 0% $ourse, %air& ay is the +asis an# i% &er"ersity or ar+itrariness, +ias or surren#er o% in#e&en#en$e o% .u#!(ent "itiate the $on$ usions rea$he#, su$h %in#in!,e"en thou!h o% a #o(esti$ tri+una , $annot +e he # !oo#. -o'e"er, the $ourts +e o' (is2#ire$te# the(se "es, &erha&s, in insistin! that &assen!ers 'ho ha# $o(e in an# !one out shou # +e $hase# an# +rou!ht +e%ore the tri+una +e%ore a "a i# %in#in! $ou # +e re$or#e#. The ;resi#uu(; ru e to

'hi$h $ounse %or the res&on#ent re%erre#, +ase# u&on $ertain &asse!es %ro( A(eri$an .uris&ru#en$e #oes not !o to that e8tent nor #oes the &assa!e %ro( -a s+ury insist on su$h ri!i# re/uire(ent. The si(& e &oint is, 'as there so(e e"i#en$e or 'as there no e"i#en$e not in the sense o% the te$hni$a ru es !o"ernin! re!u ar $ourt &ro$ee#in!s +ut in a %air $o((on2sense 'ay as (en o% un#erstan#in! an# 'or# y 'is#o( 'i a$$e&t. Vie'e# in this 'ay, su%%i$ien$y o% e"i#en$e in &roo% o% the %in#in! +y a #o(esti$ tri+una is +eyon# s$rutiny. A+sen$e o% any e"i#en$e in su&&ort o% a en#in! is $ertainty a"ai a+ e %or the $ourt to oo* into +e$ause it a(ounts to an error o% a' a&&arent on the re$or#. )e %in#, in this $ase, that the e"i#en$e o% 6ha(an a , Ins&e$tor o% the % yin! s/ua#, is so(e e"i#en$e 'hi$h has re e"an$e to the $har!e e"e e# a!ainst the res&on#ent. There%ore, 'e are una+ e to ho # that the or#er is in"a i# on that !roun#. <. Re ian$e 'as & a$e#, as ear ier state#, on the non2$o(& ian$e 'ith the #e&art(enta instru$tion that state(ents o% &assen!ers shou # +e re$or#e# +y ins&e$tors. These are instru$tions o% &ru#en$e, not ru es that +in# or "itiate in the "io ation. In this $ase, the Ins&e$tor trie# to !et the state(ents +ut the &assen!ers #e$ ine#, the &sy$ho o!y o% the atter in su$h $ir$u(stan$es +ein! un#erstan#a+ e, a thou!h (ay not +e a&&ro"e#. )e $annot ho # that (ere y +e$ause state(ents o% &assen!ers 'ere not re$or#e# the or#er that %o o'e# 'as in"a i#. =i*e'ise, the rea"a uation o% the e"i#en$e on the stren!th o% $o2$on#u$tor;s testi(ony is a (atter not %or the $ourt +ut %or the a#(inistrati"e tri+una in $on$ usion, 'e #o not thin* the $ourts +e o' 'ere ri!ht in o"er2turnin! the %in#in! o% the #o(esti$ tri+una . 3. No a$tua &unish(ent in the sense o% #is(issa or re(o"a 'as in% i$te# an# $ounse %or the State rea# out the or#er %ina y &asse#. The or#er (ere y states that the ser"i$es 'ere ter(inate# an# the State;s 6ounse a!rees that there 'as no #is(issa or re(o"a or &uniti"e &unish(ent as seen %ro( the or#er. A that 'e !uess is, ta*in! the 'or#s use# in the or#er, the authorities &ro+a+ y ha# re!ar# to the o"era $ir$u(stan$es in$ u#in! the on! years o% ser"i$e 11> years4 an# the $o(&arati"e y youn! a!e o% the #e in/uent at the ti(e o% ter(ination %or ser"i$e 1,34 an re ente# in the (atter o% %ina ter(ination +y si(& y te in! hi( o%% %ro( ser"i$e 'ithout in% i$tin! any o% the &unish(ents. This ies 'ithin the &o'er o% the e(& oyer an# it is not %or us to say that the States shou # ha"e &unishe# hi( in a &arti$u ar (anner. There%ore, 'hi e $on%ir(in! the or#er &asse# +y the State an# settin! asi#e the #e$ree o% the $ourts +e o' 'e ho # that the $onse/uen$es o% a si(& e ter(ination (ust %o o'. )e, there%ore, #ire$t 'hi e a o'in! the a&&ea , that the State sha &ay the res&on#ent a that is #ue to hi( un#er the in#ustria a' as an e(& oy(ent 'hen his ser"i$es are ter(inate# 'ithout &ena $onse/uen$es a&art %ro( the sa ary %or the &erio# or he has 'or*e# a%ter the re$ent reinstate(ent. 6ounse %or the a&&e ants has a!ree# that this #ire$tion 'i +e $arrie# out as the State is +oun# to. )ith these o+ser"ations, 'e a o' the a&&ea +ut the &arties 'i +ear their $osts throu!hout.