/2023 INSC 0105/
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO(S). 8726 OF 2018
SOUTH EASTERN COALFIELD 
LTD. & OTHERS ….APPELLANT(S)
VERSUS
GULSHAN PRAKASH ….RESPONDENT(S)
O R D E R
1. The   present   appeal   is   directed   against   the   interim   order
passed   by   the   Division   Bench   of   the   High   Court   impugned   dated
24 th
  August,   2016,   while   declining   to   grant   interim   relief   in   the
pending writ appeal, appellants were directed to ensure compliance
of   the   order   impugned   passed   by   the   learned   Single   Judge   dated
21 st
 December, 2015 which was a subject matter of challenge in the
writ appeal before the Division Bench of the High Court.
2. While   issuing   notice   by   this   Court   dated   30 th
  January   2017,
the   operation   and   effect   of   the   interim   order   dated   24 th
  August,
2016 was stayed by this Court.  The order dated 30 th
 January, 2017
is reproduced hereunder:­
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“Delay condoned.
Issue notice.
In   the   meanwhile,   there   shall   be   a   stay   of   operation   of   the
impugned   judgment   and   order   dated   24.08.2016   passed   by   the
High Court of Chattisgarh, Bilaspur.
Liberty to file additional documents.”
3. The   matter   pertains   to   compassionate   appointment   of   the
respondent on account of death of his father while he was in service
in the year 2007.   One of the dependents submitted an application
seeking   compassionate   appointment   under   the   scheme,   i.e.,
National   Coal   Wage   Agreement(NCWA),   a   settlement   within   the
meaning of Section 2(p) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 which
is   binding   under   Section   18(3)   of   the   Act.     When   the   application
filed by one of the dependents of the respondent came to be rejected
by   the   appellant­employer   on   the   premise   that   his   mother   was   in
employment   and   was   capable   to   maintain   her   family,   came   to   be
assailed   by   the   respondent(dependent)   by   filing   of   a   writ   petition
before   the   Learned   Single   Judge   of   High   Court   of   Chattisgarh,
Bilaspur.
4. Learned   Single   Judge,   after   examining   the   effect   of   the
settlement   agreement   (NCWA)   which   is   binding   on   the   parties   and
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the   material  on   record allowed  the  writ  petition  with  a  direction  to
consider   the   candidature   of   the   respondent(dependent)   for
compassionate   appointment   in   terms   of   the   settlement
agreement(NCWA)   under   its   judgment   dated   21 st
  December,   2015
that   became   the   subject   matter   of   challenge   at   the  instance   of   the
present   appellants   by   filing   of   a   writ   appeal   before   the   Division
Bench of the High Court.
5. It   reveals   from   the   record   that   at   the   motion   stage,   the
Division   Bench,   after   hearing   the   parties   while   admitting   the
appeal, declined to grant interim relief prayed for by the appellants.
At   the   same   time,   directed   the   appellants   to   ensure   compliance   of
the   Order   which   was   impugned   before   the   Division   Bench   in   writ
appeal.   The order passed by the Division Bench of the High Court
in   writ   appeal   dated   24 th
  August,   2016   came   to   be   challenged   in
appeal before us.
6. The stay is operating in the instant appeal since 30 th
 January,
2017.     At   one   stage,   we   were   of   the   view   to   decide   the   appeal   on
merits rather to relegate the parties to get the writ appeal examined
on   merits   by   the   High   Court   but   after   we   have   looked   into   the
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records,   we   are   of   the   view   that   it   may   be   advisable   and   in   the
interest   of   justice   that   the   writ   appeal   pending   before   the   High
Court may be heard on merits.
7. We   make   it   clear   that   we   have   not   expressed   any   opinion   on
merits of the case.
8. The   appeal   is   accordingly   disposed   of   with   a   request   to   the
High   Court   to   dispose   of   the   writ   appeal   on   its   own   merits   as
expeditiously as possible. 
9. The   interim   Order   passed   by   this   Court   dated   30 th
  January,
2017 shall continue until disposal of the writ appeal pending before
the High Court.
10. Pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.
……………………………J.
(AJAY RASTOGI)
……………………………J.
(BELA M. TRIVEDI)
NEW DELHI;
FEBRUARY 20, 2023.
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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO(S). 8728 OF 2018
SOUTH EASTERN COALFIELD 
LTD. & OTHERS ….APPELLANT(S)
VERSUS
AVINASH SOLOMAN ….RESPONDENT(S)
O R D E R
1. The   present   appeal   is   directed   against   the   interim   order
passed   by   the   Division   Bench   of   the   High   Court   impugned   dated
24 th
  August,   2016,   while   declining   to   grant   interim   relief   in   the
pending writ appeal, appellants were directed to ensure compliance
of   the   order   impugned   passed   by   the   learned   Single   Judge   dated
30 th
 November, 2015 which was a subject matter of challenge in the
writ appeal before the Division Bench of the High Court.
2. While   issuing   notice   by   this   Court   dated   8 th
  May   2017,   the
operation   and   effect   of   the   interim   order   dated   24 th
  August,   2016
was   stayed   by   this   Court.     The   order   dated   8 th
  May,   2017   is
reproduced hereunder:­
5

“Delay condoned.
Issue notice.
In   the   meanwhile,   there   shall   be   a   stay   of   operation   of   the
impugned   judgment   and   order   dated   24.08.2016   passed   by   the
High Court of Chattisgarh, Bilaspur.
Tag with SLP(C ) No. 3847/2017.”
3. The   matter   pertains   to   compassionate   appointment   of   the
respondent on account of death of his father while he was in service
in the year 2007.   One of the dependents submitted an application
seeking   compassionate   appointment   under   the   scheme,   i.e.,
National   Coal   Wage   Agreement(NCWA),   a   settlement   within   the
meaning of Section 2(p) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 which
is   binding   under   Section   18(3)   of   the   Act.     When   the   application
filed by one of the dependents of the respondent came to be rejected
by   the   appellant­employer   on   the   premise   that   his   mother   was   in
employment   and   was   capable   to   maintain   her   family,   came   to   be
assailed   by   the   respondent(dependent)   by   filing   of   a   writ   petition
before   the   Learned   Single   Judge   of   High   Court   of   Chattisgarh,
Bilaspur.
4. Learned   Single   Judge,   after   examining   the   effect   of   the
settlement   agreement   (NCWA)   which   is   binding   on   the   parties   and
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the   material  on   record allowed  the  writ  petition  with  a  direction  to
consider   the   candidature   of   the   respondent(dependent)   for
compassionate   appointment   in   terms   of   the   settlement
agreement(NCWA)   under   its   judgment   dated   30 th
  November,   2015
that   became   the   subject   matter   of   challenge   at   the  instance   of   the
present   appellants   by   filing   of   a   writ   appeal   before   the   Division
Bench of the High Court.
5. It   reveals   from   the   record   that   at   the   motion   stage,   the
Division   Bench,   after   hearing   the   parties   while   admitting   the
appeal, declined to grant interim relief prayed for by the appellants.
At   the   same   time,   directed   the   appellants   to   ensure   compliance   of
the   Order   which   was   impugned   before   the   Division   Bench   in   writ
appeal.   The order passed by the Division Bench of the High Court
in   writ   appeal   dated   24 th
  August,   2016   came   to   be   challenged   in
appeal before us.
6. The   stay   is   operating   in   the   instant   appeal   since   8 th
  May,
2017.   At   one   stage,   we   were   of   the   view   to   decide   the   appeal   on
merits rather to relegate the parties to get the writ appeal examined
on   merits   by   the   High   Court   but   after   we   have   looked   into   the
7

records,   we   are   of   the   view   that   it   may   be   advisable   and   in   the
interest   of   justice   that   the   writ   appeal   pending   before   the   High
Court may be heard on merits.  
 7. We   make   it   clear   that   we   have   not   expressed   any   opinion   on
merits of the case.
8. The   appeal   is   accordingly   disposed   of   with   a   request   to   the
High   Court   to   dispose   of   the   writ   appeal   on   its   own   merits   as
expeditiously as possible. 
9. The   interim   Order   passed   by   this   Court   dated   8 th
  May,   2017
shall   continue   until   disposal   of   the   writ   appeal   pending   before   the
High Court.
10. Pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.
……………………………J.
(AJAY RASTOGI)
……………………………J.
(BELA M. TRIVEDI)
NEW DELHI;
FEBRUARY 20, 2023.
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