T. Dharmaraj v. Union Of India And ORS

17.WP2883_2021 Vidya Amin

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 2883 OF 2021 T. Dharmaraj, Scientist .. Petitioner vs.

Union of India & Ors.

.. Respondents Mr. A.P. Anil Kumar for the petitioner.

Ms. Neeta Masurkar for the respondent/UOI.

CORAM :- DIPANKAR DATTA, CJ & G. S. KULKARNI, J.

Date :- July 17, 2021.

PC :

1.

By an order dated April 19, 2017, the petitioner was reverted from the post of Scientist-E to Scientist-D. On April 21, 2017, the petitioner filed a representation objecting to such reversion. The same proved abortive, since no response was received. The petitioner also does not appear to have pursued such representation till February 7, 2020 when the original application, out of which this writ petition arises, was presented before the Central Administrative Tribunal, Mumbai Bench, Mumbai. The tribunal by its order dated September 7, 2020 dismissed the original application as time barred. The said order is challenged in this writ petition.

2.

We have heard Mr. Kumar, learned advocate for the petitioner. We have also read Section 21(1)(b) of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, 1/2

17.WP2883_2021 in terms whereof the original application ought to have been presented within 18 months from April 21, 2017, i.e., the date when the petitioner first represented against the order of reversion before the respondents. We, thus, see no illegality in the order of the tribunal. We also agree with the tribunal that filing of repeated representations, not provided by law, would not stretch the period of limitation.

3.

In the result, the order under challenge is upheld. The writ petition stands dismissed. No costs.

(G. S. KULKARNI, J.) (CHIEF JUSTICE) 2/2