Holding

Rule 8(b)(i) does not provide for counting prior Army service for seniority in the CRPF, so SSCOs are not entitled to such benefit.

Summary

The Supreme Court examined whether Short Service Commissioned Officers transferred from the Army to the CRPF could have their previous Army service counted for seniority under Rule 8(b)(i) of the Central Reserve Police Force Rules, 1955. The Union of India argued that the rule does not allow such counting, while the officers contended that their unbroken armed‑forces service should be considered. The Court held that the language of Rule 8(b)(i) only governs seniority among officers of the same rank within the CRPF and is silent on crediting prior Army service; therefore, no entitlement exists unless a valid executive instruction is issued. Consequently, the Delhi High Court’s view that the officers are not entitled to the benefit was affirmed, and the Jammu & Kashmir High Court’s contrary decision was set aside. Civil Appeal No. 5353 of 2000 was allowed, and the other appeals were dismissed.

Issues considered

Whether Rule 8(b)(i) of the Central Reserve Police Force Rules, 1955 permits counting prior Army service of Short Service Commissioned Officers for seniority in the CRPF.
Whether executive instructions can be issued to give such benefit despite the rule’s silence.
Interpretation of the term "rank" in Rule 8(b)(i).

Legislation cited

Central Reserve Police Force Rules, 1955s. Rule 8(b)(i)

Subjects

seniorityCentral Reserve Police ForceRule 8(b)short service commissioned officersarmy serviceexecutive instructionsservice law

Judgment

A UNION OF INDIA AND ANR. +
v.
S.S. GILL

JULY 19, 2007

B [DR. ARIJIT PASA YAT AND LOKEWSHWAR SINGH PANTA, JJ.]
;--
r-
t
f
Service Law:

Central Reserve Police Force Rules, 1955-Rule 8(b)-Seniority-
c Determination of-Short Service Commissioned Officers in Army appointed
in CRPF-Reckoning of past Army Service towards seniority-Entitlement
of-Held: No provision in Rule 8(b) enables Army Officer or re-employed
Army Officer to count his Army service for seniority in CRPF-Thus, SSCO!.
not entitled to benefit of past service in Army for reckoning their seniority.
D The Short Service Commissioned Officers were appointed as Emergency
Commissioned Officers on short sen·ice in Army. Thereafter, they were offered
+
appointment in Central Reserve Police Force and were appointed as direct
officers under the Central Reserve Police Force Rules, 1955. In terms of the ?
appointment they were not entitled to reckon their Army Service towards
E setiority in the CRPF except pay fixation. The SSCO's contended that their I

se iority was to be determined after considering the unbroken service in the
Armed Forces. Appellant-Union of India contended that the SSCOs were not
eligible to get their past service in Army counted in CRPF for determining
seniority. Letters Patent Appeal were filed before Delhi High Court and Jammu
and Kashmir High Court. Delhi High Court held that SSCOs were not
F entitled to benefit of past sen'ice in Army, however Jam mu and Kashmir High
Court held it otherwise. Hence, the present matters.

Allowing CA 5353/2000 and dismissing the other appeals, the Court

HELD: Rule 8(b)(i) of the Central Reserve Police Force Rules, 1955
G only governs the seniority as between Army Officers inter se, Army Officers
and re-employed Army Officers inter se, Indian Police Service Officers inter
se, and non-Army and Army Officers of equivalent rank inter se. The r- \
expression 'rank' in this rule means the rank in CRPF. There is nothing in .
Rule 8(b) to indicate that the earlier Army service of an Army Officer or a
H 406
U.0.1. v. S.S.GlLL[PASAYAT. J.] 407
re-employed Army Officer is to be counted for the purpose ofseniority in A
CRPF. Since Rule 8(b)(i) is silent in this regard executive instructions can
be issued by the Central Government for the purpose of giving benefit of Army
service to Army Officers or re-employed Army Officers. Rule 8 when it says
that "an Army Officer shall maintain his seniority as between Army Officers
within a particular rank and an Army Officer re-employed in the Central B
Reserve Police Force shall maintain his Army Service between Army Officers
within a particular rank" only means that amongst Army Officers inter se
and a re-employed Army Officer and an Army Officer inter se their seniority
to a particular rank in the CRPF would be fixed on the basis of their seniority
in the Army. (Para 7) (409-B-H(

R.C. Sahi and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors., (1999) 1 SCC 482 and
c
Ravi Paul and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors., (1995( 3 SCC 300, relied on.

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 5353 of2000.

From the Judgment & Order dated 27.4.2000 of the High Court of Jammu D
& Kashmir at Jammu in LP.A. No. (SW) 121/99.

WITH

C.A. Nos. 3133/2007, 5354/2000 & W.P. (C) No. 596/2000.

Paramjit Singh Patwalia and J.L. Gupta, Sr. Adv., Aman Preet Singh Rahi, E
Indra Sawhney, Sushma Suri, Kiran Suri, S.J. Amith, Kirti Renu Mishra, Aditya
Kumar Choudhary and Ugra Shankar Prasad for the Appellants.

E.C. Agrawala for the Respondent.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
F

DR. ARIJIT PASAYAT, J. I. Leave granted in SLP (C) No. 1961 of.2003

2. In the appeal relating to SLP (C) No. 1961 of2003 challenge is to the
judgment of the Division Bench of the Delhi High Court in Letters Patent G
Appeal No.702 of2000. Civil Appeal No. 5353 of2000 is directed against the
judgment of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in Letters Patent Appeal filed
by the Union of India. Civil Appeal No. 5354 of2000 is filed by one R.K. Dua
who was not a party in the Letters Patent Appeal before the Jammu and
Kashmir High Court. Writ Petition No. 596 of 2000 also involves the simi\ar
dispute. H
408 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2007) 8 S.C.R.

A 3. The controversy relates to the interpretation of Rule 8(b) of Central
Reserve Police Force Rules, 1955 (in short the 'Rules'). According to the
Union of India, the Short Service Commissioned Officers (in short 'SSCOs')
are not eligible to get their past service in Army counted in the Central
Reserve Police Force (in short 'CRPF') for determining seniority, whereas
B according to the SSCOs the seniority is required to be determined after
considering the unbroken service in the Armed Forces. While the SSCOs
placed strong reliance on the decision of this Court dated 21.1.1986 in P.G.
Shetty and Ors. v. Union of India upholding the decision of the Delhi High
Court (UBS Teotia and Ors. v. Union of India). the Union of India placed
reliance on a decision of this Court in Ravi Paul and Ors. v. Union of India
C and Ors .. [ 1995) 3 SCC 300
....
I
4. The belhi High Court has held that the SSCOs are not entitled to the
benefit of past service in Army while the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has
held otherwise.

D 5. At this juncture, in order to appreciate the rival submissions it is to
be noted that there are some factual aspects which need to be noted. The ..
SSCOs were appointed as Emergency Commissioned Officers on short service ~
.......
in the Army. They were offered appointments in the CRPF. In ,the offer of
appointment in respect of appellant Nos. 4, 7, IO and 11 before the Delhi High
Court in LPA, the following terms are relevant:
E
"4. The other terms of appointment will be as follows:

(i) You are being appointed as direct officer under rule 105(4)(iv) and
shall not be entitled to reckon your Army Service towards seniority :
'
in the CRPF exce·pt pay fixation in one increment for each
F completed year's commissioned service."
"t-
.-:::\
6. In R.C. Sahi & Ors. v. Union of India and Ors.. [ 1999) 1 SCC 482 it
was observed as follows:
(
"17. In view of the above observations, it is clear that in the (>

G absence of a provision to give benefit of the past service in army f-
service to the ECOs in the main Rule, the Executiv.e Instructions are
permissible and the Executive Instructions dated 5.7.1972 were issued
I
to achieve that object. Dr. Rajeev Dhavan, learned counsel could not
seriously contend that if the Executive Instructions of 5. 7.1972 are to r
be applied and the past army service of the ECOs is added, the private
H
U.0.1. v. S.S.GILL[PASAYAT, J.] 409

I";
respondents will be senior to the petitioners. It is the specific case of A
respondents l and 2 that the impugned seniority list was prepared on
the basis of the Executive Instructions dated 5.7.1972. Therefore, there
is no room for doubt that the seniority list now prepared by respondents
l and 2 is quite in accordance with law and in compliance with the
directions of this Court iit Sahi 's case."
B
7. In Ravi Paul's case (supra) it was observed as follows:
-,
"22. It would thus appear that Rule 8(b)(i) of the CRPF Rules only
-\
governs the seniority as between Army Officers inter se, Army Officers
and re-employed Army Officers inter se, Indian Police Service Officers
inter se, and non-Army and Army Officers of equivalent rank inter se.
c
The expression 'rank' in this rule means the rank in CRPF. There is
nothing in Rule 8(b} to indicate that the earlier Army service of an
Army Officer or a re-employed Army Officer is to be counted for the
purpose of seniority in CRPF. Since Rule 8(b)(i) is silent in this regard
executive instructions can be issued by the Central Government for D
the purpose of giving benefit of Army service to Army Officers or re-
+ employed Army Officers. With that end in view the Government of
India, in its letter dated 5-7-1972 addressed to the Director General
BSF and CRPF as well as IG (ITBP) and Secretary (Home), Arunachal
Pradesh Administration, has laid· down certain principles for the
purpose of fixation of seniority of ex-ECOs appointed in the BSF,
E
CRPF, ITBP and Assam Rifles. The said principles were, however,
applicable only to ex-ECOs who were absorbed/appointed in these
forces during the period I 967 to 1970. In U.B.S. Teotia v. Union of
India (supra) the Delhi High Court has construed Rule 8 of the CRPF
Rules to mean that Army Officers who are re-employed or Army F
i...
·' Officers who come on deputation have to retain their original seniority
and will get the benefit of their Army service. We are unable to read
Rule 8 as having such an effect. In our opinion, the said rule when
it says that "an Army Officer shall maintain h.is seniority as between
Army Officers within a particular rank and an Army officer re-employed
in the Central Reserve Police Force shall maintain his Army Service
G.
between Army Officers within a particular rank" only means that
amongst Anny Officers inter se and a re-employed Army Officer and
-f an Army Officer inter se their seniority to a particular rank in the CRPF
would be fixed on the basis of their seniority in the Anny. We have
not found any provision in Rule 8(b) which enables an Anny Officer H
410 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007) 8 S.C.R.

A or a re-employed Anny Officer to count his Army service for the
purpose of seniority in theCRPF. We are, therefore, unable to uphold
the decision of Delhi High Court in U.B.S. Teotia v. Union of India
(supra). For the same reasons the observations in the order dated 21-
1-1986 passed by this Court in special leave petitions arising out of
Delhi High Court decision in U.B.S. Teotia case (supra) that "the
B respondents are the Anny Officers within the meaning of Rule 8 of the
CRPF Rules and they are entitled to add the length of their unbroken
service as ECOs and SSCOs for the purpose of reckoning seniority"
cannot be regarded as based on a correct interpretation of Rule 8 of
the CRPF Rules. The said observations must, therefore, be confined
C to that particular case only".

8. In view of what is stated by this Court in the aforesaid two decisions,
the inevitable conclusion is that the judgment of the Delhi High Court is in
order and needs no interference while that of the Jammu and Kashmir.High
Court is indefensible and therefore is set aside. Civil Appeal No. 5353 of2000
D is allowed while the other appeals are dismissed. No order need be passed
in the writ petition.

9. There will be no order as to costs.

N.J. C.A. 5353 of2000 allowed.
E C.A. Nos. 3133 of 2007 and 5354 of 2000 dismissed.