Shivaji Dnyanoba Mile And ORS v. The State Of Maharashtra Through The Secretary, Edu. Dept. And ORS

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION by HUSENBASHA RAHAMAN NADAF Date: 2024.10.15 16:35:30 +0530 HUSENBASHA RAHAMAN NADAF WRIT PETITION NO. 11728 OF 2023 1.

Shivaji Dnyanoba Mile ) Age- 60; Occupation-Retired ) R/o Tandulwadi, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 2.

Mahadev Baburao Shete ) Age-60; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Piliv, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 3.

Kayamsaheb Hajratnoor Kazi ) Age-62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Malshiras, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 4.

Vaijinath Dyanu Bhosale ) Age- 62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Malshiras, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 5.

Pramod Suryakant Padman ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Natepute, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 6.

Gopichand Sadashiv Gavade ) Age-59; Occupation-Retired ) R/o Natepute, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 7.

Hanumant Anant Shinde ) Age-60; Occupation-Retired ) R/o Bhamburdi, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 8.

Anna Rama Helkar ) Age-6; Occupation- Retired )

.. 2 ..

R/o Barkute, Tal-Karmala, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 9.

Maruti Mahadev Khupase ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Akluj, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 10.

Audumbar Laxman Mane ) Age- 61: Occupation-Retired ) R/o Lavang Section, Tal-Malshiras ) Dist-Solapur ) 11.

Nagnath Sukhdev Gaikwad ) Age-61; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Malewadi, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.) 12.

Dagadu Dyanoba Bobade ) Age-65; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Navare, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 13.

Tanaji Vishwanath Sathe ) Age-62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Borgaon, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 14.

Eknath Vaman Magar ) Age-61; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Nimgaon, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 15.

Uttam Lahu Bhosale ) Age-61; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Borgaon, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 16.

Ujwala Chandrakant Kulkarni ) Age-61; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Shripur, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 17.

Mahananda Aabasaheb Karche )

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Age-62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Pimpari Morochi, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 18.

Sunanda Ashok Kshirsagar ) Age-60; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Karunde, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 19.

Shashikala Madhukar Bhagat ) Age- 61; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Velapur, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 20.

Chaya Madhukar Ghodake.

) Age-60; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Akluj, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

21.

Anita Raghunath Namde ) Age-60; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Natepute, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 22.

Umabai Balbhim Kambale ) Age-59, Occupation- Retired ) R/o-Falavani, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 23.

Shanta Shamrao Shinde ) Age-61; Occupation- Retired ) R/o. Natepute, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur ) 24.

Mukta Jagannath Gore ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Natepute, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 25.

Prafullata Kiran Vhora ) Age-61; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Velapur, Tal-Malshiras, )

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Dist- Solapur.

) 26.

Anusaya Pandurang Pandit ) Age-61; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Melawadi, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 27.

Shahnaj Abubkar Shaikh ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Dattanagar Akluj, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 28.

Shobha Shashikant Pore ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Malshiras, Dist- Solapur ) 29.

Hari Ganpati Pude ) Age-62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Malshiras, Dist- Solapur ) 30.

Bapusaheb Pandharinath Deshmukh ) Age- 60; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Islampur, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur ) 31.

Bharat Sambhaji Lavate ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Medad, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur ) 32.

Mahadev Satyappa Bansode ) Age-60; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Solapur, Dist- Solapur.

) 33.

Mahadev Rajaram Sarvade ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Piliv, Tal-Malshiras, Dist-Solapur) 34.

Nagnath Mahadev Kaldhone ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Piliv, Tal-Malshiras, Dist-Solapur) 35.

Anil Hiralal Annadate )

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Age-62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Akluj, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 36.

Mahabaleshwar Kedarling Kumbhar. ) Age-62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Akluj, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 37.

Maruti Namdev Kshirsagar ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/oAkluj, Tal-Malshiras, Dist-Solapur) 38.

Ramchandra Dyanoba Sul ) Age-60; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Piliv, Tal-Malshiras, Dist-Solapur) 39.

Tanaji Shripati Sopnar ) Age-62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Shripur, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur ) 40.

Ramesh Shivram Balkate ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Akluj, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur ) 41.

Arun Chandrakant Satpute ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Tadsundane, Dist-Barshi ) 42.

Shabbir Hanif Shaikh ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Akluj, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 43.

Kantilal Bhimrao Uravane ) Age-62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Pandharpur, Dist- Solapur.

) 44.

Suvarnamala Nagnath Gavasane ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Akluj, Tal- Malshiras, )

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Dist- Solapur ) 45.

Hapija Dastgir Mujavar ) Age-60, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Yashwandnagar Akluj, ) Tal Malshiras, Dist- Solapur.

) 46.

Mahanand Chandrakant Jathar ) Age-63, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Malinagar, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur ) 47.

Prabhavati Shahuraj Dalavi ) Age-62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Sangramnagar Akluj, ) Tal-Malshiras, Dist- Solapur ) 48.

Bhagwan Baba Phalake ) Age-62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Khandali, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 49.

Narhari Kumar Bhasme ) Age-62; Occupation-Retired ) R/o Malshiras, Dist- Solapur.

) 50.

Surekha Prabhakar Bagade ) Age-63; Occupation- Retired ) R/at- Flat No.105, Siddhanath ) Saptrang, Narhe, Pune-411041 ) 51.

Kavita Pramod Madal ) Age-63; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Akluj, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 52.

Jyoti Prakash Nalawade ) Age-62; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Akluj, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 53.

Archana Ashok Upalekar ) Age-62: Occupation- Retired )

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R/o Shripur, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 54.

Irphana Shahabuddin Shaikh ) Age-60, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Malshiras, Dist- Solapur.

) 55.

Shrikant Mahadev Suravase ) Age-59; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Piliv, Tal-Malshiras, Dist-Solapur) 56.

Rohini Changdev Gund ) Age-62, Occupation- Retired ) R/oAkluj, Tal-Malshiras, Dist-Solapur) 57.

Bharat Namdev Rane ) Age-63, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Morochi, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 58.

Kisan Baba Kokare ) Age- 63; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Mohol, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 59.

Gurunath Ramling Swami ) Age-62; Occupation-Retired ) R/o Chakore, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 60.

Ashadevi Vishwanath Gosavi ) Age-63, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Morochi, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 61.

Smita Hanumant Jare ) Age-63; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Morochi, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 62.

Aruna Mahadev Rokade ) Age-63, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Morochi, Tal-Malshiras, )

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Dist-Solapur.

) 63.

Jayashree Nandikumar Dahiwal ) Age-63; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Morochi, Tal-Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 64.

Jayashree Sharad Khatavkar ) Age-63; Occupation- Retired ) R/o Morochi, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur.

) 65.

Vijaya Gangadhar Madane ) Age-59, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Piliv, Tal-Malshiras, Dist-Solapur) 66.

Chaya Madhukar Ghodake ) Age-61, Occupation- Service ) R/o. Velapur, Tal- Malshiras, Dist-Solapur.

) 67.

Prakash Govardhan Kondhare ) Age-61, Occupation- Retired ) R/o barshi dist - Solapur ) 68.

Rahul Gorakh Botre ) Age-46, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Natepute Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur.

) 69.

Vishnu Sandipal Shinde ) Age-59, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Chakore, Dist- Solapur ) 70.

Umakant Bhanudas Kothmire ) Age-63, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Akluj, Dist - Solapur ) 71.

Mahadev Chintamani Kengar ) Age-63, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Mandaki, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist-Solapur )

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72.

Shashikala Vitthal Patil ) Age-61, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Dharmapuri, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur ) 73.

Ananta Babashaeb Jadhav ) Age-60, Occupation- Retired ) R/o Maloli, Tal- Malshiras, ) Dist- Solapur ) ...Petittioners

Versus

1.

The State of Maharashtra, Through ) The Secretary, Education Department) Mantralaya, Mumbai.

) 2.

The Education Officer (Primary) ) Zilla Parishad, Solapur, Dist- Solapur ) 3.

The Chief Accountant and Finance ) Officer, Solapur, Zilla Parishad ) Solapur, Dist- Solapur ) 4.

The Block Development Officer ) Malshiras Panchayat Samit, ) Tal- Malshiras, Dist- Solapur.

) 5.

The Block Education Officer ) Malshiras Panchayat Samit ) Tal- Malshiras, Dist- Solapur.

) 6.

The Chief Executive Officer, ) Zilla Parishad Solapur, Dist- Solapur. )

...Respondents

---- Mr. Satish Raut for the Petitioners.

Ms. S. H. Kankal, AGP for the Respondent No.1-State. Mr. Anand S. Kulkarni for the Respondent Nos. 2, 3 & 6. CORAM : RAVINDRA V. GHUGE AND M.M. SATHAYE, JJ.

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DATE : 10th OCTOBER, 2024 JUDGMENT (Per Ravindra V. Ghuge, J.) 1.

Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith and heard finally, by the consent of the Parties. The learned advocates representing the Respondent Zilla Parishad, Solapur agrees that the Petitioners are identically placed.

2.

The Petitioners are the original employees who were working with the Respondent Zilla Parishad and superannuated from employment. All of them were subjected to recovery of amounts, purportedly for the reason that excess amounts were paid to them, under wrongful revised pay scales/erroneous revised pay scales, on the basis of acquiring the certificate of MS-CIT etc. These pay scales were revised more than a decade ago.

3.

The grievance of these Petitioners is that recoveries have been initiated against them, from their retiral benefits/pensionary benefits. In some cases, amounts have already been recovered. A chart showing the details of the petitioners, their dates of superannuation, dates of impugned orders and amounts recovered from their retiral

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benefits/pensionary benefits, are as under:- Amount of Computer Recovery Sr.

No.

Teacher's/ Petitioner's Name Date of Retirement Name of the School at the time of Retirement Date of impugned order Shivaji Dnyanoba Mile 31/05/2021 78028 Falavani TalMalshiras 03/09/2021 Mahadev Baburao Shete 01/06/2022 45809 Tarangfal TalMalshiras 23/09/2023 Kayamsaheb Hajratnoor Kazi 31/05/2019 58793 Islampur TalMalshiras 27/01/2020 Vaijinath Dyanu Bhosale 31/05/2019 74822 Jalbhave TalMalshiras 27/01/2020 Pramod Suryakant Padman 31/05/2019 46930 Logand, TalMalshiras 09/04/2018 Gopichand Sadashiv Gavade 10/10/2022 70659 Dahigaon, TalMalshiras 17/10/2022 Hanumant Anant Shinde 31/05/2021 70122 Kacharewadi, Tal- Malshiras 19/07/2021 Anna Rama Helkar 31/05/2018 23013 Sargarwasti, Tal- Malshiras 29/05/2018 Maruti Mahadev Khupase 30/06/2019 48696 Khudus, TalMalshiras 01/10/2019 Audumbar Laxman Mane 18/04/2018 21114 Lavang Section, TalMalshiras 07/05/2018 Nagnath Sukhdev Gaikwad 31/05/2018 22636 Mohite wasti, Yashwand Nagar, TalMalshiras 02/07/2018 Dagadu Dyanoba Bobade 30/12/2015 34153 Nevare, TalMalshiras 11/01/2016 Tanaji Vishwanath Sathe 31/05/2019 50736 Mire, TalMalshiras 22/07/2019 Eknath Vaman Magar 01/06/2018 39208 Chandapuri, Tal- Malshiras 12/06/2018 Uttam Lahu Bhosale 03/11/2020 47739 Umbare (V), Tal- Malshiras 09/11/2020 Ujwala Chandrakant Kulkarni 19/05/2018 23174 Malewadi (BR), Kendr Borgaon, TalMalshiras 31/05/2018 Mahananda Aabasaheb Karche 21/12/2019 54641 Morochi, TalMalshiras 17/12/2019 Sunanda Ashok Kshirsagar 30/09/2021 47296 Morochi, TalMalshiras 05/10/2021 Shashikala Madhukar Bhagat 08/12/2020 94054 Bhakarewadi, Tal- Malshiras 16/12/2020 Chaya Madhukar Ghodake 31/10/2021 87200 Dattanagar Akluj, TalMalshiras 17/12/2021 Anita Raghunath Namde 12/11/2019 114576 Bodare Wasti Phondshiras, Tal- Malshiras 18/09/2020 Umabai Balbhim 31/05/2022 41055 Velapur Mule, 22/09/2022

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Kambale Tal- Malshiras Shanta Shamrao Shinde 08/12/2020 47739 Kanya Shala Natepute, TalMalshiras 16/12/2020 Mukta Jagannath Gore 10/10/2022 102206 Phondshiras, Tal- Malshiras 17/10/2022 Prafullata Kiran Vhora 30/06/2017 47316 Khandali, TalMalshiras 27/10/2017 Anusaya Pandurang Pandit 01/06/2020 94005 Malewadi , Tal- Malshiras 20/11/2020 Shahnaj Abubkar Shaikh 31/05/2022 46490 Dattnagar Akluj, TalMalshiras 26/08/2022 Shobha Shashikant Pore 01/06/2022 46707 Bhamburdi, Tal- Malshiras 17/10/2022 Hari Ganpati Pude 29/05/2021 57750 Goradwadi, Tal- Malshiras 10/05/2021 Bapusaheb Pandharinath Deshmukh 27/08/2020 46364 Mahadevmala Kanher, TalMalshiras 03/09/2020 Bharat Sambha Lavate 01/06/2022 216546 Chakore, TalMalshiras 12/10/2022 Mahadev Satyappa Bansode 07/09/2021 172821 Bhamb, TalMalshiras 16/09/2021 Mahadev Rajaram Sarvade 10/08/2022 48354 Nimgaon (M), Tal- Malshiras 02/08/2022 Nagnath Mahadev Kaldhone 12/09/2022 44933 Falvani, TalMalshiras 22/09/2022 Anil Hiralal Annadate 31/08/2019 23174 Mule No.

2 Akluj, TalMalshiras 24/09/2019 Mahabaleshwar Kedarling Kumbhar 10/12/2019 53513 Malshiras No.1, TalMalshiras 20/12/1019 Maruti Namdev Kshirsagar 01/06/2021 43342 Velapur, TalMalshiras 21/09/2021 Ramchandra Dyanoba Sul 02/09/2020 49795 Garvad, TalMalshiras 07/09/2020 Tanaji Shripati Sopnar 11/06/2021 46767 Bhagat Wasti, Tal- Malshiras 27/06/2019 Ramesh Shivram Balkate 30/11/2021 55091 Mahalung, TalMalshiras 17/12/2021 Arun Chandrakant Satpute 20/07/2019 51256 Tambave, TalMalshiras 19/08/2019 Shabbir Hanif Shaikh 28/02/2023 48854 Vijaywadi, TalMalshiras 10/03/2023 Kantilal Bhimrao Uravane 31/05/2022 59086 Khudus Kendra 17/10/2022 Suvarnamala Nagnath Gavasane 31/05/2019 51147 Z.P.

Shala Dattanagar, Tal- Malshiras 08/04/2019 Hapija Dastgir Mujavar 31/05/2021 48696 Yashwant nagar, TalMalshiras 19/07/2021 Mahanand Chandrakant Jathar 18/02/2017 Mule No.

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Bhagwan Baba Phalake 31/05/2021 50736 Mandve, TalMalshiras 27/06/2019 Narhari Kumar Bhasme 18/12/2019 63651 Maynar (Mahalung) Tal- Malshiras 02/01/2020 Surekha Prabhakar Bagade 31/10/2017 14665 Borgaon Kendra Tal- Malshiras 04/12/2017 Kavita Pramod Madal 21/07/2021 15966 Jambud, TalMalshiras 22/02/2018 Jyoti Prakash Nalawade 31/10/2019 53191 Akluj, TalMalshiras 18/11/2019 Archana Ashok Upalekar 01/08/2019 46231 Borgaon, TalMalshiras 22/01/2020 Irphana Shahabuddin Shaikh 05/11/2020 53208 Tupewasti, TalMalshiras 10/11/2020 Shrikant Mahadev Suravase 01/06/2022 44017 Garvad, TalMalshiras 27/10/2022 Rohini Changdev Gund 01/08/2019 94824 Kendrshala, Velapur, TalMalshiras 06/01/2020 Bharat Namdev Rane 18/12/2019 46931 Dharmapuri, Tal- Malshiras 30/12/2019 Kisan Baba Kokare 20/06/2018 26499 Hivare, TalMohal 10/08/2018 Guraunath Ramling Swami 31/05/2020 69867 Chakure, TalMalshiras 16/12/2020 Ashadevi Vishwanath Gosavi 31/08/2019 59009 Velapur Mule, Tal- Malshiras 13/11/2019 Smita Hanumant Jare 01/08/2022 46490 Yashwant Nagar, TalMalshiras 16/12/2022 Aruna Mahadev Rokade 18/05/2019 32751 Mule No.

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Botre wadi, Tal- Malashiras Vishnu Sandipal Shinde 31/05/2022 53410 Umbare, TalMalashiras 18/10/2022 Umakant Bhanudas Kothmire 31/05/2018 23798 Khudus TalMalashiras 08/05/2018 4.

We have considered the strenuous submissions of the learned Advocates. It is, however, undisputed that none of these Petitioners had played any fraud or were personally involved in wrongful revision of their pay scales or orchestrating wrongful revision by manipulating the record. There is no allegation of fraud or deceit against any of them. No undertaking was acquired from them as and when the revised pay scale become payable. In some cases, at the stroke of retirement, a condition was imposed that they should execute an undertaking and in these coercive circumstances, that undertaking were extracted from some of them.

5.

The learned Advocate representing the Zilla Parishad as well as the learned A.G.P., submit that once an undertaking is executed, the case of the Petitioners would be covered by the law laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in High Court of Punjab and Haryana and others vs. Jagdev Singh, 2016 AIR (SCW) 3523. Reliance is placed on the judgment delivered by this Court on 1.9.2021, in Writ Petition No. 13262

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of 2018 filed by Ananda Vikram Baviskar Vs. State of Maharashtra and others.

6.

We have referred to the law laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in High Court of Punjab and Haryana and others vs. Jagdev Singh (supra). However, the record reveals that no undertaking was taken from these Petitioners when the pay scales were revised. The undertakings from some of them were taken at the stroke of their retirement. 7.

An undertaking has to be taken from the candidate on the day the revised pay scale is made applicable to him and the payment commences. At the stroke of superannuation of the said employee, asking him to tender an undertaking, practically amounts to an afterthought on the part of the employer and a mode of compelling the candidate to execute an undertaking since they are apprehensive that their retiral benefits would not be released until such undertaking is executed. Such an undertaking will not have the same sanctity of an undertaking executed when the payment of revised pay scale had commenced. We, therefore, respectfully conclude that the view taken in High Court of Punjab and Haryana and others vs. Jagdev Singh (supra), would not be applicable to the case of

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these Petitioners, more so since the recovery is initiated after their superannuation.

8.

Taking into account that these Petitioners were not involved in any mischief, fraud or deceit in orchestrating their wrongful pay revision, the law laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Syed Abdul Qadir vs. State of Bihar and others, 2009 (3) SCC 475 and State of Punjab and other vs. Rafiq Masih (White Washer) etc. (2015) 4 SCC 334 = AIR 2015 SC 696, would apply to this case.

9.

The Writ Petition is partly allowed. The impugned orders are quashed and set aside. The amounts due and payable to the Petitioners, as well as to the widows and other legal heirs, if that is the case, after the superannuation of the said employees/death of the employees, would be paid to these Petitioners or their widows or other legal heirs, if that is the case, within a period of 90 days.

10.

The learned advocate for the Petitioners submits on instructions that the Petitioners would not claim any interest on the amount which has already been recovered from them, to the extent of it's repayment. In view thereof, if the amounts are not

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paid within 90 days, interest at the rate of Rs.5% p.a. from the date of this order, will be paid.

11.

Rule is made absolute accordingly.

(M.M. SATHAYE, J.) (RAVINDRA V. GHUGE, J.)