Union Of India & Ors. vs Gyan Dutt Sharma

C. HARI SHANKAR J.

This writ petition is directed against order dated 1 July 2025 passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal^{11.“Tribunal” hereafter} in OA 1089/2022, which sought antedating of the seniority of the respondent as Store Keeping Staff in the Army Ordinance Store.

Before the Tribunal, the respondent contended that the case was fully covered by the judgment dated 31 May 2025 passed by the Tribunal in OA 1987/2019^{22.Rama Nand Prabhakar & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.}, which was never challenged and was also implemented.

The Tribunal has merely followed this judgment.

Ms. Niyati Sharma, who appears for the petitioners was directed by the Court to inform the Court as to whether the said judgment was challenged. Today, she appears and candidly acknowledges that the judgment was never challenged.

In that view of the matter, we find no error in the view adopted by the Tribunal. Similarly situated persons have to be treated similarly in order to conform with Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India.

The Supreme Court has also held in State of Karnataka and Others v. C. Lalitha^{33.(2006) 2 SCC 747}, State of U.P. v. Arvind Kumar Srivastava^{44.(2015) 1 SCC 347} and Lt. Col. Suprita Chandel v. Union of India and Ors.^{55.2024 SCC OnLine SC 3664} that the benefit of a judgment should enure to all persons similarly situated even if they do not approach the Court and that all persons are not required to knock at the doors of the Court.

The writ petition is accordingly dismissed.