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Shushma Pandey v. Sheela Sharma & Ors.

Civil Appeal · 2017 INSC 677Decided 27 Jul 2017
Civil Appeal No. 2740 of 2010
Justice Kurian Joseph · Justice R. Banumathi

Background

The dispute concerned the appellant's appointment as Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Patliputra Medical College, Dhanbad, and arose from an order of the Patna High Court in a Letters Patent Appeal. By the time the matter reached the Supreme Court, both the appellant and the contesting first respondent had retired from service.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court noted that, with both the appellant and the contesting respondent having already retired, practically nothing survived to be decided in the appeal. On that short ground alone, the Civil Appeal was dismissed, without the Court going into the merits of the original appointment dispute.

Lesson Learnt

A court will decline to rule on the merits of an employment dispute once intervening events, such as the retirement of the very parties contesting the post, have made the underlying relief sought practically moot.

Official source (sci.gov.in)View Judgment (PDF)

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