Mustaf Dhulaso Manure v. Ramlingeshwar Samaj Seva Mandal And ORS
k 1/3 44 wp 18737.24 as.doc
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.18737 OF 2024 Mustaf Dhulaso Manure ....Petitioner V/S Ramlingeshwar Samaj Seva Mandal & Ors.
....Respondents _________ Mr. Prashant R. Suryawanshi i/b Mr. Gajanan M. Savagave for the Petitioner.
Ms. V.S. Nimbalkar, AGP for Respondent No.3/State. __________ CORAM: SANDEEP V. MARNE, J.
DATE : 29 JANUARY 2025.
P.C.:
1.
By this Petition, Petitioner challenges order dated 14 October 2024 passed by the learned Presiding Officer, School Tribunal, Solapur in Miscellaneous Application No.55 of 2023 for condonation of delay in filing appeal challenging the termination order dated 3 February 2020.
2.
I have heard Mr. Suryawanshi, the learned counsel appearing for the Petitioner and have considered the submissions canvassed by him.
3.
Petitioner alleges that his services were orally terminated on 3 February 2020. He filed appeal alongwith application for 1 of
k 2/3 44 wp 18737.24 as.doc condonation of delay on 26 October 2023 after delay of 3 years 7 months and 23 days. The only explanation pleaded in the application for condonation of delay is to be found in paragraph 7 of the application, which reads thus:
"(७) मार्च २०२०नंतरसंपूर्ण भारतातकोविड१९यासांसर्गिकरोार्चा प्रादुभा ाढतेल्यानेलॉकडाऊनघोवि%तकरण्यातआले बाहेरहिंहडण्या- वि+रण्यारप्रतितबंधहोता, तसेर्चअर्जदारयांनीत्यांनाकामारघेण्याकरिरता सामनेालेनं.
१ते३यांर्चेकडेेळोेळी विनयविमतपर्णेपाठपुरााकेला, त्यामुळे विहीतमुदतीतअर्जदारयांनासदरहूतोंडीआदेशाविरुध्दअपीलदाखलकरता आलेनाही.
त्यार्चप्रमार्णेअर्जदारयांनीसामनेाले शिशक्षर्णातिधकारीयांच्याकडे माविहतीअतिधकारातअर्ज केले, परंतुसामनेालेनं.
२यांनीउडाउडीर्चेउत्तर देऊनमाविहतीविदलीनाही.
अर्जदारहेमार्णीकरीतअसलेलीकादपत्रेद्याी, असाआदेशसामनेालेनं.
३यांनीसामनेालेनं.
२यांनाकेलेलाआहे. परंतु अद्यापहीसामनेालेनं.
२यांनीर्जार्णीपूकमाविहतीविदलेलीनाही. त्यार्चप्रमार्णे सेासमाप्तीर्चेआदेशाविरुध्दयामा.
न्यायातिधकरर्णामध्येविकतीमुदतीतदाद मााी, याबद्दलदेखीलमाविहती, ज्ञानअर्जदारासनसल्यानेहीमुदतीतदाद माताआलीनाही."
4.
Beyond citing the pretext of Covid-19 pandemic Petitioner has not pleaded any specific ground for condonation of inordinate delay of 3 years, 7 months and 23 days. All the restrictions relating to Covid-19 pandemic were lifted and the suspension of period of limitation came to an end on 28 February 2022. However even after lifting of the pandemic restrictions, Petitioner did not file appeal for over one year and eight months without any justification. In my view, no justifiable cause was 2 of
k 3/3 44 wp 18737.24 as.doc made out by the Petitioner before the Tribunal for condonation of delay of 3 years, 7 months and 23 days. It must be borne in my mind that the period of limitation prescribed under section 9 of the Maharashtra Employees of Private Schools (Conditions of Services) Regulation Act, 1977 is only 30 days. Therefore, adequate justification was required to be pleaded especially in the light of the fact that the delay was inordinate. I am therefore, not inclined to interfere in the order passed by the Tribunal. Writ Petition is accordingly rejected.
(SANDEEP V. MARNE, J.) by SUDARSHAN RAJALINGAM KATKAM Date:
2025.01.30 18:27:30 +0530 SUDARSHAN RAJALINGAM KATKAM 3 of