IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA LPA No.1496 of 2009 1. LAL BABU SAH S/O SRI RAMAYAN SAH R/O VILL.- BRINDABAN, UCHHKAGAON, P.S.- UCHHKAGAON, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 2. SUDARSHAN PRASAD S/O SRI SHIVNATH SAH R/O VILL.- RATAN SARAI, P.O.- BARAULI, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 3. RAMESH PRASAD S/O SRI BRAHAMCHARI PRASAD R/O VILL.- CHPIA, P.S.- MIL HARKHUA, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 4. KANHAIYA PRASAD S/O LATE NARAIN SAH R/O VILL.- SRIPUR, P.O.- KALYANPUR, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 5. HARI KISHORE PRASAD SAH S/O SRI BARAI SAH R/O SARAIYA PAHAR, P.O.- BARHIMA, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 6. SMT. SUNITA KUMARI W/O SRI AKHILESHWAR KUMAR PRASAD R/O DAUDA BISHUNPUR, P.O.- RAMPUR DAUDA, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 7. SURESH SAH S/O SRI SHANKAR SAH R/O VILL.+P.O.- BRINDABAN, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 8. BALIRAM PRASAD S/O SRI DINA NATH PRASAD R/O VILL.- AWAYDERWAN, P.O.- JAMSHED BAZAR, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 9. TUNTUN SAH S/O SRI PERMESHWAR SAH R/O VILL.- DAHIVATA, P.O.- UCHHKAGAON, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 10. ROHIT SAH S/O SRI RAGHUBIR SAH R/O VILL.- KESHOPUR, P.O.- BHAGWANPUR, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 11. BHARAT SAH S/O SOHAN LAL SAH R/O VILL. & P.O.- MAHUAWA, P.S.- KATAIYA, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 12. BIRESH SAH S/O SRI BANSHI SAH R/O VILL.- HIRAPAKAR, P.O.- YADOPUR, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ Versus 1. THE STATE OF BIHAR, THROUGH THE COMMISSIONER- CUM-SECRETARY HUMAN RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT DEPTT., VIKAS BHAWAN, NEW SECRETARIAT, P.S.- SACHIVALAYA, DISTT.- PATNA 2. THE COMMISSIONER-CUM-SECRETARY, PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS DEPTT., GOVT. OF BIHAR, OLD SECRETARIAT, P.S.- SACHIVALAYA, DISTT.- PATNA 3. THE BIHAR PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, THROUGH ITS CHAIRMAN, 15, BAILEY ROAD, P.S.- SHASTRINAGAR, DISTT.- PATNA 4. THE DIRECTOR, PRIMARY EDUCATION, GOVT. OF BIHAR, HUMAN RESOURCES DEPTT., VIKAS BHAWAN, NEW SECRETARIAT, P.S.- SACHIVALAYA, DISTT.- PATNA 5. THE DISTRICT COLLECTOR, GOPALGANJ, OFFICE IN - 2 - COLLECTORATE, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 6. THE DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION, GOPALGANJ, OFFICE AT GOPALGANJ, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 7. PRAMOD KUMAR GOND S/O LATE CHABILA SAH VILL.- NARKATIA, P.S. & DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 8. SURAJ SAH S/O JAWAHAR SAH R/O SHAMIPUR, P.S.- MOHAMMADPUR, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 9. PUNAM KUMARI D/O GAURI SHANKAR SAH R/O AIKDERWAN GOPALGANJ, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 10. RAJESHWAR NATH PRASAD S/O KANCHAN PRASAD R/O SUKULWAKALA, P.O.- SUKULWAKHURD, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ 11. VASISTHA SAH S/O SATYANARAIN SAH R/O VILL. & P.O.- BARAIPATTI, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ ----------- For the Appellant :- M/S. Chittaranjan Sinha, Sr. Advocate & S.R. Sharan. For the State :- Mr. Anil Kumar Dwivedi, A.C. to G.P. XIII For the B.P.S.C. :- Mr. Sanjay Pandey. ---- 3 07/12/2009 Heard the parties. Writ petition preferred by the appellants was dismissed by the order under appeal because no one appeared for the petitioners. Learned counsel for the appellants has submitted that the controversy related not to Scheduled Caste but Scheduled Tribe. He submits that instead of remanding the matter for being heard by the writ Court on merits, the appeal may be disposed of only with an observation that the order under appeal will not stand in the way of the State of Bihar and its authorities in considering the case of the - 3 - appellants in accordance with law on the same footing as that of other similarly situated persons who have claimed to be the Scheduled Tribes on the basis of their caste being Gond. Learned counsel for the State has expressed no objection to it. This Letters Patent Appeal is disposed of with an observation that the order under appeal will not stand in the way of consideration of the claim of the petitioners by the State of Bihar and its authorities in accordance with law if the cases of other similarly situated persons are being considered. AMIN (Shiva Kirti Singh, ACJ) (Shyam Kishore Sharma, J.)