Created by Fuzzy Cloud

High Court of Gujarat

NARAN JESABHAI KODIYATARversusTHE GENERAL MANAGER (AD.),GSRTC

Decided
Disposal
58-RULE ISSUED & RULE ABSOLUTE/ALLOWED @FH

Holding

The court ordered that the respondents must grant the petitioner a provisional appointment, subject to the Scrutiny Committee’s final determination on the caste certificate.

Summary

The petitioner, Naran Jesabhai Kodiyatar, was selected for the post of Conductor, Class 3 in GSRTC but was not appointed because the Scrutiny Committee had not verified his caste certificate. He filed a petition challenging the inaction, relying on a prior order dated 26 July 2021 of the Gujarat High Court’s coordinate bench, which had been affirmed by a division bench on 25 November 2021, directing provisional appointment when verification is delayed. The respondents argued that the matter was pending before the division bench and sought more time. The court held that the earlier precedent was binding and ordered the respondents to grant the petitioner a provisional appointment within four months, subject to the final decision of the Scrutiny Committee on the genuineness of the certificate. The order also stipulated the consequences if the certificate is later found genuine or not, and directed the petitioner to cooperate with the scrutiny process.

Issues considered

  • What is the appropriate remedy when a Scrutiny Committee fails to verify a caste certificate within a reasonable time?
  • Whether the Gujarat High Court must follow its earlier coordinate and division bench orders in similar cases.

Subjects

  • provisional appointment
  • caste certificate verification
  • reservation
  • public service recruitment
  • judicial precedent
  • Gujarat High Court

Judgment

    C/SCA/1407/2026                           ORDER DATED: 05/02/2026




          IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

            R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 1407 of 2026

==========================================================
                    NARAN JESABHAI KODIYATAR
                              Versus
              THE GENERAL MANAGER (AD.),GSRTC & ANR.
==========================================================
Appearance:
MR HARDIK D MUCHHALA(5634) for the Petitioner(s) No. 1
MR HENIL SHAH, AGP for the Respondent(s) No. 2
MR HS MUNSHAW(495) for the Respondent(s) No. 1
==========================================================

  CORAM:HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE NIRZAR S. DESAI

                          Date : 05/02/2026

                            ORAL ORDER


1. Heard learned Advocate Mr. Hardik D. Muchhala on behalf
of the petitioner and learned Assistant Government Pleader on
behalf of the respondents – State.


2. Rule, returnable forthwith. Learned Assistant Government
Pleader waives service of rule on behalf of the respondent –
State.


3. By way of this petition, the petitioner inter alia challenges
the inaction on part of the respondents, more particularly, the
Scrutiny Committee of not verifying the caste certificate issued
in favour of the petitioner, which has led to the petitioner,
who is selected for the post of Conductor, Class 3, but, not
getting appointment.



                              Page 1 of 5
    C/SCA/1407/2026                                ORDER DATED: 05/02/2026




4. Learned Advocate Mr. Hardik D. Muchhala would draw the
attention of this Court to an order of learned Coordinate Bench
dated 26.07.2021 which has been confirmed by Hon’ble
Division Bench vide an order dated 25.11.2021 and whereas
learned Advocate would submit that in a similar scenario,
since the Scrutiny Committee had not verified the caste
certificate within reasonable time, the learned Co-ordinate
Bench was pleased to direct the respondent authorities to give
provisional      appointment   to   the      petitioner    therein       more
particularly within a period of two months from the date of
receipt of writ of the Court and whereas it was also clarified
that if the caste certificate of the petitioner was found not to
be genuine, the petitioner would not be entitled to benefit of
provisional appointment. It was further clarified that if the
caste certificate was found genuine it will be open for the
petitioner to claim actual appointment from the date his
juniors were appointed and also continuity of service and other
benefits.


4.1. Learned Advocate Mr. Hardik D. Muchhala would also
draw the attention of this Court to order dated 25.11.2021
passed by Hon’ble Division Bench in Letters Patent Appeal No.
984 of 2021 whereby the above-referred order of learned Co-
ordinate Bench had been challenged and whereas vide said
order, the Hon’ble Court had also rejected the challenge,
confirming the order of the Hon’ble Division Bench. Learned
Advocate Mr. Hardik D. Muchhala would submit that since the
issue in question in the petition before the Hon’ble Co-ordinate
Bench and the subject in issue in the present petition being the

                               Page 2 of 5
     C/SCA/1407/2026                                  ORDER DATED: 05/02/2026




same, this Court may pass similar order in this petition also.


5. Learned Assistant Government Pleader for the respondents,
while could not dispute the fact about orders being passed by
the learned Co-ordinate Bench and whereas, the same being
confirmed by the Hon’ble Division Bench, and would submit
that the State is contemplating to have a comprehensive
exercise more particularly considering the fact that certain
aspects of the issue in dispute are pending before the Hon’ble
Division Bench. She would further submit that in any case, if,
similar orders were to be passed then some more time may be
granted to the Government.


6.   Having       regard   to     the   submissions    made       by    learned
Advocates for the parties, in the considered opinion of this
Court, order dated 26.07.2021 passed by learned Coordinate
Bench in Special Civil Application No. 1858 of 2021 confirmed
by Hon’ble Division Bench was passed in similar set of facts
and therefore the decision would be binding on this Court and
whereas judicial propriety demands that this Court should also
follow the same view as laid down by learned Co-ordinate
Bench confirmed by Hon’ble Division Bench.


7. Having regard to the same, it is directed that the
respondents        shall   give     provisional   appointment           to      the
petitioner, to the post of Conductor, Class 3, subject to the
final decision taken by the Scrutiny Committee. Such order
shall be issued by the respondents within a period of four
months from the date of receipt of writ of this order.



                                    Page 3 of 5
     C/SCA/1407/2026                                    ORDER DATED: 05/02/2026




8. It is clarified that in case the Scrutiny Committee comes to
a conclusion before the period of four months that the caste
certificate produced by the petitioner was not genuine then the
respondents are not required to give provisional appointment
to the present petitioner. In this regard that it is further
clarified that before finally deciding as to the genuineness of
the caste certificate, all procedure as contemplated under the
law shall be followed by the respondents.


8.1 It is further clarified that in case the Scrutiny Committee
does not take any decision as regards the genuineness of the
caste certificate then provisional appointments shall be issued
to the petitioner on the post referred to herein above and
whereas, after the Scrutiny Committee comes to a conclusion,
as regards the veracity and genuineness of the caste certificate
of the petitioner then; (A) in case if the caste certificate is not
found to be genuine, it would be for the respondents to
forthwith terminate the services of the petitioner or not to
further     extend      provisional     appointment,      (B)     if   the    caste
certificate is found to be genuine, then, it will be open for the
petitioner to claim seniority and all other benefits including,
but not limited to, continuity of service etc., as would be
available to the petitioner from the date, when juniors to the
present petitioner had been appointed to the post in question.


9.   With     the      aforesaid   directions,      present     petition     stands
disposed of.


9.1. The petitioner is directed to cooperate with the process of
scrutiny of the documents by producing original documents, as

                                      Page 4 of 5
       C/SCA/1407/2026                                                   ORDER DATED: 05/02/2026




and when called by the Scrutiny Committee.


9.1.1. Learned Advocate, Mr. Muchhala, submitted that the
petitioner will cooperate with the Scrutiny Committee in the
aforesaid exercise, but, the petitioner may be informed about
the date and time, on which to appear before the Scrutiny
Committee in advance, by way of speed post, which shall be
done by the Committee. Rule is made absolute to the above
extent. Direct service is permitted.

                                                                        (NIRZAR S. DESAI,J)
SHRIJIT PILLAI

Original copy of this order has been signed by the Hon'ble Judge.
Digitally signed by: PILLAI SHRIJIT P(HC01400), PRIVATE SECRETARY, at High Court of Gujarat on 05/02/2026 18:23:46




                                                Page 5 of 5


Continue reading with your account

Sign in to read the full judgment. It’s free.

Sign in to read

Checking your session…

Lawyer court records for this case

Associated through the court’s case reference.

For a signed copy suitable for filing, refer to the court's website.