Case: The State of Bihar &amp; Ors Vs. Madhu Kant Ranjan &amp; Anr

2. The facts leading to the present appeal in nutshell are as under:-2.1 That applications were invited vide advertisement bearing No. 1/2004 published on 08.02.2004 for selection of Constables in the Bihar Police Force. As per the advertisement, the applicant/candidate was required to enclose the self-attested copies of all necessary documents alongwith their application form. It further provided that all successful candidates will produce their original certificates before the Selection Council at the time of their appointment. The advertisement also further provided that additional five marks for NCC B certificate and 10 marks for NCC C certificate shall be awarded to the candidates holding such certificates.2.2 Pursuant to the said advertisement, the original writ petitioner applied for the said post. He also participated in the re-measurement and physical test held on 08.09.2006 as per another advertisement published in the daily newspaper for the same. As the original writ petitioner did not submit his NCC certificate either with the application form or with the second application, he scored 12 marks. As he did not submit his NCC certificate, he was not awarded five additional marks for NCC B certificate. The original writ petitioner approached the High Court by way of writ petition being CWJC No.5431 of 2008 making a grievance that he has been denied the benefit of five marks with regard to NCC B certificate possessed by him, as provided for in the advertisement. It was his case that while his total marks were 17, making him eligible for appointment, those with lesser marks have been appointed, while his candidate has been considered on the basis of 12 marks only. The learned Single Judge refused to issue any positive direction with regard to the consideration of his candidature by observing that there is no pleading in the writ petition that the petitioner had annexed his NCC B certificate in support of his claim alongwith the original application and in the absence of necessary pleading that the petitioner had annexed his NCC B certificate alongwith his original application, no positive direction can be issued. However, the learned Single Judge observed that if the petitioner had not annexed such document with his original application and submitted the same subsequently after physical test but before the publication of the results, the matter shall remain in the discretion of the authority. Therefore, while refusing to issue any positive direction, disposed of the said writ petition for an appropriate decision by the authority, to exercise the discretion and to consider whether he could be allowed five additional marks on production of NCC B certificate subsequently, after the physical test, but before the publication of the results.2.3 That thereafter under the Right to Information Act, the original writ petitioner received the information that he was awarded 17 marks. His representation, pursuant to the earlier order passed by the learned Single Judge came to be disposed of by the appropriate authority refusing to allow five additional marks by observing that as at the time of submitting the original application, he did not submit the photocopy of the NCC B certificate and which was filed subsequently after the physical test, he is not entitled to the benefit of additional five marks. The original writ petitioner filed the present writ petition before the High Court being Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No. 7650 of 2009. The learned Single Judge by judgment and order dated 01.10.2010 dismissed the said writ petition.2.4 After a period of three years, the original writ petitioner preferred the Letters Patent Appeal No.1631 of 2014 before the Division Bench. By impugned judgment and order, the Division Bench of the High Court has condoned the delay of three years and thereafter has allowed the Letters Patent Appeal quashing and setting aside the judgment and order passed by the learned Single Judge, and directed the appointing authority to appoint the original writ petitioner as Constable awarding five additional marks of NCC B certificate as per the select list forwarded on 08.09.2007.2.5 Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the impugned judgment and order passed by the Division Bench of the High Court, the State of Bihar and Others have preferred the present appeal.

Court's reasoning:
7. Thus, as per the pleadings in the earlier writ petition being CWJC No.5431 of 2008, there was no averment in support of his claim that he had annexed his NCC B certificate alongwith the original application. However, when subsequently the present writ petition was filed, the original writ petitioner came out with a contrary stand that he had produced all the necessary documents including the NCC B certificate alongwith his original application. The aforesaid is nothing but an afterthought. Having failed to get any positive direction in the earlier writ petition on the ground that there is no pleading that he had annexed his NCC B certificate alongwith the original application, he is not entitled to any positive direction and the original writ petitioner cannot be permitted to improve his case in the subsequent litigation, when it was not his case in the earlier round of litigation.8. At the cost of repetition, it is to be observed that in the earlier round of litigation, the learned Single Judge specifically observed that there is no pleading in the writ petition that the petitioner had annexed his NCC B certificate alongwith the original application. Once, it is found that the respondent No.1– original writ petitioner did not submit the photocopy of the NCC B certificate alongwith the original application which was the requirement as per the advertisement and the cut-off date as per the advertisement was 22.02.2004 and he produced the same after the physical test on 15.01.2007, the appointing authority rightly held that he shall not be entitled to additional five marks of NCC B certificate. Though in the select list dated 08.09.2007, he was awarded 17 marks, which included five additional marks of NCC B certificate, the appointing authority disagreed with the same on the ground that as photocopy of the NCC B certificate was not produced alongwith his application form, which was the requirement as per the advertisement, he shall not be entitled to five additional marks of NCC B certificate. Therefore, when a decision was taken on the representation made by the respondent No.1 – original writ petitioner which was pursuant to the earlier order passed by the learned Single Judge in writ petition being CWJC No.5431 of 2008, the authority rightly refused to allot/award five additional marks of NCC B certificate.9. As per the settled proposition of law, a candidate/applicant has to comply with all the conditions/eligibility criteria as per the advertisement before the cut-off date mentioned therein unless extended by the recruiting authority. Also, only those documents, which are submitted alongwith the application form, which are required to be submitted as per the advertisement have to be considered. Therefore, when the respondent No.1 – original writ petitioner did not produce the photocopy of the NCC B certificate alongwith the original application as per the advertisement and the same was submitted after a period of three years from the cut-off date and that too after the physical test, he was not entitled to the additional five marks of the NCC B certificate. In these circumstances, the Division Bench of the High Court has erred in directing the appellants to appoint the respondent No.1 – original writ petitioner on the post of Constable considering the select list dated 08.09.2007 and allotting five additional marks of NCC B certificate.