Ritu Harijan v. the State of West Bengal and Ors.
Compassionate appointment – university/college services – absence of statutory provision
Case brief
What is this about?
Calcutta High Court, Circuit Bench at Jalpaiguri, decision dated 01.05.2025 in M.A.T. 7 of 2025 (with CAN 1 of 2025), Smt. Ritu Harijan v. The State of West Bengal & Ors. (Madhuresh Prasad, J. and Supratim Bhattacharya, JJ.). Intra-court appeal against Single Judge's order dated 07.01.2025 dismissing claim for compassionate appointment in university/college services; no statutory provision for compassionate appointment; claim earlier rejected by DPI by reasoned order under Clauses 2, 4 and 5 of the statute; appeal dismissed; connected application disposed of. Keywords: compassionate appointment, DPI, intra-court appeal, no statutory provision, university/college services.
What did the court decide?
Since the petitioner did not dispute that there was no statute providing for compassionate appointment, the Single Judge's order merely recording that undisputed position could not be put to challenge by way of an intra-court appeal.