{"id":36992,"date":"2008-04-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-04-08T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/dvl-personnel-officer-vs-p-kasu-on-9-april-2008"},"modified":"2017-02-23T04:50:22","modified_gmt":"2017-02-22T23:20:22","slug":"dvl-personnel-officer-vs-p-kasu-on-9-april-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/dvl-personnel-officer-vs-p-kasu-on-9-april-2008","title":{"rendered":"Dvl.Personnel Officer vs P.Kasu on 9 April, 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"docsource_main\">Kerala High Court<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_title\">Dvl.Personnel Officer vs P.Kasu on 9 April, 2008<\/div>\n<pre>       \n\n  \n\n  \n\n \n \n  IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM\n\nOP.No. 9004 of 1998(V)\n\n\n\n1. DVL.PERSONNEL OFFICER,S.RAILWAY\n                      ...  Petitioner\n\n                        Vs\n\n1. P.KASU\n                       ...       Respondent\n\n                For Petitioner  :SRI.M.C.CHERIAN\n\n                For Respondent  :SRI.B.GOPAKUMAR\n\nThe Hon'ble MR. Justice S.SIRI JAGAN\n\n Dated :09\/04\/2008\n\n O R D E R\n                             S. Siri Jagan, J.\n               =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=\n                        O.P. No. 9004 of 1998\n               =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=\n                   Dated this, the 9th April, 2008.\n\n                            J U D G M E N T\n<\/pre>\n<p>      The Divisional Personnel Officer, Southern Railway, Palghat is<\/p>\n<p>the petitioner in this original petition. He is challenging Ext. P18<\/p>\n<p>award of the Industrial Tribunal, Palakkad in I.D.No. 71\/96 (C),<\/p>\n<p>wherein he is the management and the 1st respondent herein is the<\/p>\n<p>workman. The issue referred for adjudication was:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      &#8220;Whether the claim of the workman Smt. P. Kasu that she was<br \/>\n      born on 16-12-52 is justified ? If so, whether the action of the<br \/>\n      Management of D.P.O. S. Rly, Palghat in superannuating the<br \/>\n      workman on 30-4-94 is legal and justified? If not, to what relief is<br \/>\n      the workman entitled to?&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The management superannuated the workman on the basis of the age<\/p>\n<p>recorded in the service records, which was 40 years as on 21-4-1976.<\/p>\n<p>The workman claimed that her date of birth was 16-12-1952 and<\/p>\n<p>therefore her date of superannuation would fall only on 15-12-2010.<\/p>\n<p>The Tribunal, after entering a finding that the workman has not<\/p>\n<p>produced any reliable documentary evidence to substantiate her claim<\/p>\n<p>that her date of birth was 16-12-1952 and in the absence of any such<\/p>\n<p>documentary evidence, the management would have been justified in<\/p>\n<p>its refusal to carry out the correction of date of birth, relied on the<\/p>\n<p>order of the Central Administrative Tribunal, Ernakulam in O.A.No.<\/p>\n<p>1941\/93, filed by the petitioner, to hold that the management had<\/p>\n<p>agreed to accept the affidavit of the workman regarding her date of<\/p>\n<p>birth and based on two affidavits of the workman attested by a notary<\/p>\n<p>and a Judicial First Class Magistrate, accepted the case of the<\/p>\n<p>workman directing the management to reinstate the workman with<\/p>\n<p>backwages and consequential benefits.               That award is under<\/p>\n<p>challenge before me.\n<\/p>\n<p>      2.     The contention of the management is that the first<\/p>\n<p>respondent-workman was engaged as a casual labourer on 21-4-1976<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998                -: 2 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>by the Permanent Way Inspector, Palghat. At that time, the personal<\/p>\n<p>details of the workman as declared by her was entered in a register<\/p>\n<p>called LTI Register, and her left hand thumb impression was obtained<\/p>\n<p>therein. In that register, a copy of which was marked as Ext. M1 in<\/p>\n<p>the award and produced herein as Ext. P1, the age of the workman<\/p>\n<p>was shown as 40 as on her date of entry in service, namely, 21-4-<\/p>\n<p>1976. Later her casual employment was terminated and she was later<\/p>\n<p>reinstated in service as a casual labourer pursuant to directions of<\/p>\n<p>this Court. At that time, the LTI Register was with the Industrial<\/p>\n<p>Tribunal, Alleppey, the same having been produced in cases involving<\/p>\n<p>the workman and others. Even at the time of regular absorption of<\/p>\n<p>the workman the same was not available. Therefore, the workman<\/p>\n<p>was asked to produce the original casual labour card and an affidavit<\/p>\n<p>declaring her date of birth as entered therein, in accordance with<\/p>\n<p>Rule 225 of the Rail;way Establishment Code, Vol. I (1985 Edition)<\/p>\n<p>and the Railway Ministry&#8217;s decision underneath the same.            The<\/p>\n<p>workman refused to do so.       Instead, she along with some other<\/p>\n<p>similarly placed workmen, filed O.A.No. 1941\/93 before the Central<\/p>\n<p>Administrate Tribunal for a direction to the petitioner to act in<\/p>\n<p>accordance with the notarised affidavits submitted by them declaring<\/p>\n<p>their age. The petitioner filed a written statement stating that the<\/p>\n<p>respondents in the O.A have no objection in accepting affidavits<\/p>\n<p>signed before a Notary, provided the dates of birth provided therein<\/p>\n<p>tally with what was recorded in the LTI           Register as per the<\/p>\n<p>declaration given by the workman. By Ext. P7 order, the Central<\/p>\n<p>Administrative Tribunal, disposed of the O.A., recording that in the<\/p>\n<p>statement filed by the petitioner herein, the petitioner has stated that<\/p>\n<p>the affidavit attested by a Notary will be taken on record and<\/p>\n<p>considered.      Ext. P6 communication was earlier issued to the<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998               -: 3 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>workman directing her to file an affidavit in accordance with the age<\/p>\n<p>already declared by her, failing which action will be taken to record<\/p>\n<p>her date of birth in the service register as 21-4-36 for all purposes<\/p>\n<p>including superannuation\/retirement, which communication was not<\/p>\n<p>challenged in the O.A., although the same was produced therein.     In<\/p>\n<p>spite of the same, the workman did not produce an affidavit in<\/p>\n<p>accordance with her age already          declared and therefore the<\/p>\n<p>workman was superannuated with effect from 30-4-1994. It is under<\/p>\n<p>the above circumstances the workman raised the industrial dispute,<\/p>\n<p>which was referred for adjudication of the Industrial Tribunal. The<\/p>\n<p>petitioner contends that the Tribunal, after finding that there is no<\/p>\n<p>reliable evidence to show that the workman&#8217;s date of birth was 16-12-<\/p>\n<p>1952, ought not to have directed reinstatement based on the order of<\/p>\n<p>the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT for short) in so far before<\/p>\n<p>the CAT, the petitioner never undertook to accept the affidavit of the<\/p>\n<p>workman, but only agreed to accept the same on record and consider<\/p>\n<p>it.   According to the petitioner, since there was no supporting<\/p>\n<p>documents to prove her date of birth, the age entered in the service<\/p>\n<p>records could not have been corrected based on a mere self-serving<\/p>\n<p>affidavit of the workman. On these averments, the petitioner seeks to<\/p>\n<p>justify their action in superannuating the workman on 30-4-1994 and<\/p>\n<p>quashing of Ext. P18 award.\n<\/p>\n<p>      3. The 1st respondent-workman contests the original petition on<\/p>\n<p>the following grounds. Counsel for the workman first contends that<\/p>\n<p>this Court     cannot exercise jurisdiction under Article 226 of the<\/p>\n<p>Constitution of India in this case, in so far as, as per the law laid<\/p>\n<p>down by the Supreme Court in the two decisions cited by him, this<\/p>\n<p>Court cannot re-appreciate evidence in an industrial dispute to come<\/p>\n<p>to a different conclusion from that of the Industrial Tribunal.    He<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998                 -: 4 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>would submit that merely because another view is possible on the<\/p>\n<p>same material and even if there is an error, this Court         cannot<\/p>\n<p>interfere with the award while exercising certiorari or supervisory<\/p>\n<p>jurisdiction. Therefore, this Court shall not interfere with Ext. P18<\/p>\n<p>award, is the first contention raised. On merits, he would rely on Rule<\/p>\n<p>225 referred to by the petitioner himself in the original petition. He<\/p>\n<p>would point out that the workman is admittedly an illiterate lady and<\/p>\n<p>she has never made any conscious declaration of her age or date of<\/p>\n<p>birth. He further argues that the age in Ext. P1 was recorded not at<\/p>\n<p>the time of her entering service and that the age was also not<\/p>\n<p>recorded in accordance with the procedure prescribed in Rule 255.<\/p>\n<p>He points out that Ext. P1 is not a declaration by the workman but<\/p>\n<p>only an entry by a careless or irresponsible clerk of the petitioner<\/p>\n<p>against which the thumb impression of an illiterate lady was obtained,<\/p>\n<p>which cannot be relied upon to decide the petitioner&#8217;s age and date of<\/p>\n<p>birth. He also points out that the entry in Ext. P1 is not the date of<\/p>\n<p>birth of the workman, but only the date of entry in service and the<\/p>\n<p>alleged age of the workman which cannot be relied upon as evidence<\/p>\n<p>to determine the date of birth of the workman. According to him, the<\/p>\n<p>workman had declared her age and date of birth as required in Rule<\/p>\n<p>225 in two affidavits attested by a Notary and a Magistrate and the<\/p>\n<p>same is the declaration as contemplated by the Rules, which cannot<\/p>\n<p>be refused to be acted upon.        He supports the reasoning of the<\/p>\n<p>Tribunal that after undertaking before the CAT,        to accept the<\/p>\n<p>affidavit of the workman, the petitioner is estopped from taking a<\/p>\n<p>different stand. He submits that the view taken by the Tribunal was<\/p>\n<p>the only decision which could have been arrived at on the basis of the<\/p>\n<p>material available before it and therefore there is no merit in the<\/p>\n<p>challenge against Ext. P18 award.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998                  -: 5 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>      4. In reply, counsel for the petitioner would argue that the<\/p>\n<p>embargo as per the law laid down by the Supreme Court does not<\/p>\n<p>apply to perverse decisions of the Tribunal and since the Tribunal has<\/p>\n<p>totally misread the order of the CAT to find in favour of the workman,<\/p>\n<p>that too, after finding that the workman has not produced any reliable<\/p>\n<p>evidence to prove her date of birth as 16-12-1952, the decision is<\/p>\n<p>perverse and this Court        has jurisdiction to interfere with such<\/p>\n<p>perverse decision. She also points out that in Ext. P18 award, the<\/p>\n<p>Tribunal has went to the extent of finding that by Ext. W6 order<\/p>\n<p>(which is Ext. P7 herein) of the CAT, Ext. M3 memo (which is Ext. P6<\/p>\n<p>herein) stands quashed, which order is patently absent in Ext. P7<\/p>\n<p>order, adding to the perversity of Ext. P18 award. Relying on Ext. P4<\/p>\n<p>copy of the O.A filed before the CAT by the workman and others, she<\/p>\n<p>argues that Ext. P6 was not even challenged before the CAT and<\/p>\n<p>therefore the question of quashing the same by the CAT does not<\/p>\n<p>arise.\n<\/p>\n<p>      5.   I have considered the rival contentions.          First, I shall<\/p>\n<p>consider the arguments regarding the jurisdiction of this Court in<\/p>\n<p>interfering with awards of Labour Courts\/Industrial Tribunals raised<\/p>\n<p>by the learned counsel for the workman based on the decisions cited<\/p>\n<p>by him.    He relies on two decisions. The first is Jithendra Singh<\/p>\n<p>Rathor v. Shri. Baidyanath Ayurveds Bhawan Ltd., and another,<\/p>\n<p>(1984) 3 SCC 5. This decision deals with the scope of interference by<\/p>\n<p>this Court     under Article 227 in an award granting relief          to a<\/p>\n<p>workman in exercise of powers under Section 11A of the Industrial<\/p>\n<p>Disputes Act.     The Supreme Court has in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the<\/p>\n<p>said decision, held thus:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>             &#8220;Under Section 11-A of the Act, advisedly wide discretion<br \/>\n      has been vested in the Tribunal in the matter of awarding relief<br \/>\n      according to the circumstances of the case. The High Court under<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998                      -: 6 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>      Article 227 of the Constitution does not enjoy such power though<br \/>\n      as a superior court, it is vested with the right of superintendence.<br \/>\n      The High Court is indisputably entitled to scrutinise the orders of<br \/>\n      the subordinate tribunals within the well-accepted limitation and,<br \/>\n      therefore, it could in an appropriate case quash the award of the<br \/>\n      Tribunal and thereupon remit the matter to it for fresh disposal in<br \/>\n      accordance with law and directions, if any. The High Court is not<br \/>\n      entitled to exercise the powers of the Tribunal and substitute an<br \/>\n      award in place of the one made by the Tribunal as in the case of an<br \/>\n      appeal where it lies to it. . . . . . We reiterate that ordinarily it is<br \/>\n      not for the High Court in exercise of the jurisdiction               of<br \/>\n      superintendence to substitute one finding for another and similarly<br \/>\n      one punishment for another. We may not be understood to have<br \/>\n      denied that power to the High Court in every type of cases. . . . . .&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>      6. The second decision [<a href=\"\/doc\/1297602\/\">Ranjeet Singh v. Ravi Prakash,<\/a> (2004)<\/p>\n<p>3 SCC 682] relied on by the learned counsel for the workman is not<\/p>\n<p>one under the Industrial Disputes Act, but lays down the general<\/p>\n<p>scope of jurisdiction of the High Court under Articles 226 and 227 of<\/p>\n<p>the Constitution in certiorari proceedings. In paragraph 4 of that<\/p>\n<p>decision, it is held thus:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      &#8221; . . . . . <a href=\"\/doc\/1016548\/\">In Surya Dev Rai v. Ram Chander Rai,<\/a> (2003) 6 SCC 675,<br \/>\n      this Court has ruled that to be amenable to correction in certiorari<br \/>\n      jurisdiction, the error committed by the court or authority on<br \/>\n      whose       judgment the High Court was exercising jurisdiction ,<br \/>\n      should be an error which is self-evident. An error which needs to<br \/>\n      be established by lengthy and complicated arguments or by<br \/>\n      indulging in a long-drawn process of reasoning, cannot possibly be<br \/>\n      an error available for correction by writ of certiorari.       If it is<br \/>\n      reasonably possible to form two opinions on the same material, the<br \/>\n      finding arrived at one way or the other, cannot be called a patent<br \/>\n      error. As to the exercise of supervisory jurisdiction of the High<br \/>\n      Court under Article 227 of the Constitution also, it has been held in<br \/>\n      Surya Dev Rai that the jurisdiction was not available to             be<br \/>\n      exercised for indulging in reappreciation or evaluation of evidence<br \/>\n      or correcting the errors in drawing inferences like a court of<br \/>\n      appeal. . . . . .&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>      7. The Supreme Court has, in innumerable decisions, held that<\/p>\n<p>the High Court can interfere with awards of Labour Courts\/Industrial<\/p>\n<p>Tribunals only when the findings entered therein are demonstrably<\/p>\n<p>perverse. I shall now examine whether there is any patent error in<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998                    -: 7 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Ext. P18 award for finding which lengthy and complicated arguments<\/p>\n<p>or a long drawn out process of reasoning is required and whether the<\/p>\n<p>finding is perverse which are the tests laid down by the Supreme<\/p>\n<p>Court in such matters.\n<\/p>\n<p>      8.     Two findings have been recorded by the Tribunal in Ext.<\/p>\n<p>P18. The first is as to whether the workman has proved that her<\/p>\n<p>actual date of birth is 16-12-1952. The finding on that point is in<\/p>\n<p>paragraph 6 of the award which reads thus:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>             &#8220;6. I also agree with the contention of the Management<br \/>\n      that the subsequent declaration made by the worker in this<br \/>\n      dispute by filing affidavits attested by Notary and Judicial<br \/>\n      Magistrate of the First Class are, not the conclusive proof for the<br \/>\n      correct date of birth. These affidavits containing self interested<br \/>\n      statement of the worker alone cannot be taken into account for<br \/>\n      determining the date of birth. In addition to Ext. W1 and W5<br \/>\n      affidavits the worker has produced Ext. W8 horoscope written on<br \/>\n      palm leaf. But there is nothing in Ext. W8 to suggest that the said<br \/>\n      horoscope is in respect of the worker. The names of the worker<br \/>\n      and her parents are not mentioned in Ext. W8. Ext. W8 was also<br \/>\n      not proved by examining its author. The worker has not produced<br \/>\n      any other documents viz. the ration card voters list, records<br \/>\n      relating   to   birth\/death   registrations   maintained   in   the<br \/>\n      Panchayath\/Village Office etc. to substantiate her claim that her<br \/>\n      date of birth is 16.12.52. In the absence of any such documentary<br \/>\n      evidence, the Management would have been justified in its refusal<br \/>\n      to carry out the correction of date of birth.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This finding is in favour of the management and based on this finding<\/p>\n<p>the workman should have been denied relief.\n<\/p>\n<p>      9. The second is on the basis of Ext. P7 order of the CAT. That<\/p>\n<p>finding is in paragraph 10, which runs thus:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>            &#8220;10. From Ext. W3 dt. 2.11.93 it is clear that when the<br \/>\n     matter came up for final hearing on 22.11.93 before the<br \/>\n     Administrative Tribunal, the Management was well aware that the<br \/>\n     age declared by the worker as per Ext. M1 LTI Register was 40<br \/>\n     years as on 21-4-76. But the Management unconditionally agreed<br \/>\n     to accept the affidavit attested by the Notary. In addition to Ext.<br \/>\n     A1 affidavit attested by Notary the worker had also submitted Ext.<br \/>\n     W5 affidavit dt. 4.5.93 attested by Judicial First Class Magistrate,<br \/>\n     Palakkad declaring her date of Birth as 16.12.52. I find that by Ext.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998                   -: 8 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>     W6 order dt. 22.11.93 of the Administrative Tribunal, the Ext. W3<br \/>\n     memo dt. 2.11.93 stands quashed and the Management is liable to<br \/>\n     accept Ext. W1 and W5 affidavits.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The parties are at issue regarding the second finding finding, in so far<\/p>\n<p>as the workman has not challenged the award. So, I shall consider<\/p>\n<p>whether this finding is perverse and is a patent error ascertainable as<\/p>\n<p>such without a long drawn out process of reasoning or whether two<\/p>\n<p>opinions are reasonable possible on the point.\n<\/p>\n<p>      10. Ext. P7 reads thus:\n<\/p>\n<p>             &#8220;Proof of Date of Birth attested by a Notary was not<br \/>\n      received by respondents, as the Permanent Way Inspector held the<br \/>\n      view that such a document will have to be attested by a Magistrate<br \/>\n      of First Class.\n<\/p>\n<p>             2. In the reply statement filed, respondents state that the<br \/>\n      affidavit attested by a Notary will be taken on record, and<br \/>\n      considered.\n<\/p>\n<p>             3. We are not called upon to decide any other matter. We<br \/>\n      record the submission and dispose of the application. No costs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Tribunal held that this contains an unconditional agreement to<\/p>\n<p>accept the affidavit of the workman attested by a Notary and by Ext.<\/p>\n<p>P7 order, Ext. P6 stands quashed. From Ext. P7, I am unable to come<\/p>\n<p>to both conclusions with any process of reasoning. What is stated<\/p>\n<p>therein is that &#8220;In the reply statement filed respondents state that the<\/p>\n<p>affidavit attested by a Notary will be taken on record and considered.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>There is no unconditional agreement therein that the affidavit of the<\/p>\n<p>workman would be accepted and acted upon by the management, but<\/p>\n<p>only that it would be taken on record and considered. Further, if it is<\/p>\n<p>to be construed as an unconditional agreement to accept the affidavit<\/p>\n<p>as proof of the workman&#8217;s date of birth, the industrial dispute itself<\/p>\n<p>was unnecessary. All what was required was to file a petition before<\/p>\n<p>the CAT for initiating proceedings        for contempt for which the CAT<\/p>\n<p>had powers. There is also no express or implied quashing of Ext. P6<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998                   -: 9 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>in Ext. P7 as held by the Tribunal. In fact, in Ext. P4 copy of the OA<\/p>\n<p>filed before the CAT there is no prayer to quash Ext. P6 at all.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, without any lengthy and complicated arguments or a long<\/p>\n<p>drawn out process of reasoning, I can without an iota of doubt hold<\/p>\n<p>that the second finding is not only patently erroneous but also<\/p>\n<p>perverse. I am also of opinion that no two views are possible on this,<\/p>\n<p>by any stretch of reasoning.\n<\/p>\n<p>      11.    This is further clear from Ext. P5 statement of the<\/p>\n<p>management in the O.A before the CAT, which only has been stated to<\/p>\n<p>be recorded in Ext. P7.        The only concession given therein is at<\/p>\n<p>paragraph, which reads thus:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>             &#8220;3.  It is also submitted that the respondents have no<br \/>\n      objection in accepting affidavits signed before a Notary, provided<br \/>\n      the dates of birth given therein tally with that was recorded in the<br \/>\n      LTI Register as per the declaration given by the applicants.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That states that the respondents have no objection in accepting<\/p>\n<p>affidavits signed before a Notary provided the dates of birth given<\/p>\n<p>therein tally with that was recorded in the LTI Register as per the<\/p>\n<p>declaration given by the applicants. Therefore, there is absolutely no<\/p>\n<p>unconditional agreement by the management as concluded by the<\/p>\n<p>Tribunal by even a stretch of reasoning.              Therefore, clearly, the<\/p>\n<p>findings of the Tribunal on that point is clearly perverse and liable to<\/p>\n<p>be interfered with in exercise of my jurisdiction under Articles 226<\/p>\n<p>and 227 of the Constitution of India going by the law laid down by the<\/p>\n<p>Supreme Court in the decisions cited by the counsel for the workman<\/p>\n<p>himself. This finding is sufficient to set aside the award. However,<\/p>\n<p>since arguments have been advanced on the merits of the claim of the<\/p>\n<p>workman, I shall deal with the same also.\n<\/p>\n<p>      12. The contention is that going by Rule 225 quoted in the<\/p>\n<p>original petition itself, the workman&#8217;s affidavit regarding the date of<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998                      -: 10 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>birth should have been accepted. The said Rule and the decision of<\/p>\n<p>the Railway Ministry read thus:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>                           &#8220;Rule 225 &#8211; Date of Birth<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      1.     Every person, on entering Railway Service, shall declare his<br \/>\n      date of birth which shall not differ from any declaration expressed<br \/>\n      or implied for any public purpose before entering Railway Service.<br \/>\n      In the case of literate staff, the date of birth shall be entered in the<br \/>\n      record of service in the Railway servant&#8217;s own handwriting. In the<br \/>\n      case of illiterate Staff, the declared date of birth shall be recorded<br \/>\n      by a senior Railway Servant and witnessed by another Railway<br \/>\n      Servant.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      2.     A person who is not able to declare his age should not be<br \/>\n      appointed to Railway Service.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      3. (A) When a person entering service is unable to give his date of<br \/>\n      birth but gives his age, he should be assumed to have completed<br \/>\n      the stated age of the date of attestation, e.g. if a person enters<br \/>\n      service on 1st January, 1980 and if on that date his age was stated<br \/>\n      to be 18, his date of birth should be taken as 1st January, 1962.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (B) When the year or year and month of birth are known but not<br \/>\n      the exact date, the 1st July or 16th of that month respectively shall<br \/>\n      be treated as the date of birth.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>                      RAILWAY MINISTRY&#8217;S DECISION<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>             (a) When a candidate declares his date of birth he should<br \/>\n      produce documentary evidence such as a Matriculation Certificate<br \/>\n      or a Municipal Birth Certificate. If he is not able to produce such<br \/>\n      an evidence he should be asked to produce any other<br \/>\n      authenticated documentary evidence to the satisfaction of the<br \/>\n      appointing authority. Such authenticated documentary evidence<br \/>\n      could be the School Leaving Certificate, a Baptismal Certificate in<br \/>\n      original or some other reliable document. Horoscope should not<br \/>\n      be accepted as an evidence in support of the declaration of age.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>             (b) If could not produce any authority in accordance with\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (a) above he should be asked to produce an affidavit in support of<br \/>\n      the declaration of age.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>             (c) In the case of Group D Employee care should be taken<br \/>\n      to see that the date of birth as declared on entering regular Group<br \/>\n      D service is not different from any declaration expressed or<br \/>\n      implied, given earlier at the time of employment as a casual<br \/>\n      labourer or as a substitute.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998               -: 11 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>      From this rule, it is clear that every person entering Railway<\/p>\n<p>Service is bound to declare his date of birth. The workman claims<\/p>\n<p>that she has not so declared and her first declaration is the affidavit<\/p>\n<p>produced by her. That affidavit has been filed at the fag end of her<\/p>\n<p>service as per the age entered in the service record. Ext. P1 is a<\/p>\n<p>record kept in the normal course of business of the Railways.         It<\/p>\n<p>contains the thumb impression of the workman. Either Ext. P1 or the<\/p>\n<p>thumb impression therein is not disputed by the workman.              A<\/p>\n<p>procedure is provided in sub-rule 3 to be adopted in a case where the<\/p>\n<p>person entering service is unable to give his\/her date of birth. Ext.<\/p>\n<p>P1 is in perfect tune with that procedure.       Further, the Railway<\/p>\n<p>Ministry&#8217;s decisions require documentary evidence or affidavit in<\/p>\n<p>support of the declaration of age. Therefore, the affidavit has to be in<\/p>\n<p>support of the declaration already made. The workman claims that<\/p>\n<p>she has not declared her age earlier. She is unable to produce any<\/p>\n<p>reliable evidence in support of her date of birth. Admittedly, in the<\/p>\n<p>service records of the workman kept in the normal course of business,<\/p>\n<p>her age is recorded as 40 as on 21-4-1976. The petitioner is disputing<\/p>\n<p>the correctness of that record at the fag end of her career. This Court<\/p>\n<p>and the Supreme Court have time and again held that requests for<\/p>\n<p>correction of dates of birth entered in the service records shall not be<\/p>\n<p>entertained at the fag end of service. Here, not only is the petitioner<\/p>\n<p>disputing the correctness of the service record at the fag end of her<\/p>\n<p>service, but she also does not have any reliable evidence worth the<\/p>\n<p>name to prove her claim except her own self-serving affidavit, which<\/p>\n<p>fact has been accepted by the Tribunal also in Ext. P18 award.<\/p>\n<p>      13. While at it, I am constrained to note a particular aspect of<\/p>\n<p>the case.    Exts. P16 and P17 are the affidavits submitted by the<\/p>\n<p>workman regarding her date of birth. The workman is an illiterate<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998                -: 12 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>lady. Both the affidavits are in English. The attestation does not state<\/p>\n<p>that the contents of the affidavit have been read over to her and<\/p>\n<p>explained to her in a language known to her or in her mother tongue,<\/p>\n<p>which is a requirement while attesting affidavits of illiterate persons.<\/p>\n<p>There is also no indication as to who prepared the affidavit. That<\/p>\n<p>being so, I am seriously in doubt whether the affidavits were valid<\/p>\n<p>affidavits at all.\n<\/p>\n<p>      14. Further, if disputes regarding dates of birth of workmen are<\/p>\n<p>to be decided on the basis of the affidavit of the workman who claims<\/p>\n<p>that his age is lower than what is mentioned in the service records,<\/p>\n<p>without any supporting documents, then no such dispute can even be<\/p>\n<p>decided against the workman. Therefore, I am of opinion that even if<\/p>\n<p>such affidavits are to be accepted, the same should be supported by<\/p>\n<p>some other independent material. Otherwise, managements would be<\/p>\n<p>flooded with such requests for correction of dates of birth in service<\/p>\n<p>records, which would not be in the interest of industrial peace,<\/p>\n<p>maintaining of which is the cardinal object of industrial adjudication,<\/p>\n<p>especially when such requests for correction are made at the fag end<\/p>\n<p>of the career of the workmen.\n<\/p>\n<p>      15.    Therefore, the findings against the management and in<\/p>\n<p>favour of the workman in Ext. P18 award are liable to be set aside. I<\/p>\n<p>do so.\n<\/p>\n<p>      16. However, in view of the vast difference of 16 years between<\/p>\n<p>the age recorded in Ext. P1 and that claimed by the workman, my<\/p>\n<p>sense of justice does not permit me to let it go at that, especially<\/p>\n<p>since the workman is an illiterate lady. I feel that the workman<\/p>\n<p>should be given another opportunity to prove her age. In the absence<\/p>\n<p>of any other acceptable documentary evidence available, the only<\/p>\n<p>course now open to her is to get her age determined by medical<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">O.P.No. 9004\/1998                 -: 13 :-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>examination, although       by medical examination age cannot be<\/p>\n<p>determined by exactitude but only approximately.            Therefore, I<\/p>\n<p>remand the matter to the Tribunal for fresh consideration, after<\/p>\n<p>affording an opportunity to the workman to produce proof of her age<\/p>\n<p>through medical examination by a Medical Board constituted by<\/p>\n<p>Medical Administration of the District. The management should also<\/p>\n<p>be given appropriate opportunity to controvert such evidence. The<\/p>\n<p>Tribunal should, on the basis of the medical opinion, come to a<\/p>\n<p>reasonable conclusion regarding the age of the workman. If, after<\/p>\n<p>fresh evidence, the Tribunal finds that the workman is\/was entitled to<\/p>\n<p>continue in service beyond 30-4-1994, the question of payment of<\/p>\n<p>backwages shall be decided taking into account the facts and<\/p>\n<p>circumstances of the case in the light of the recent decisions of the<\/p>\n<p>Supreme Court, which hold that on reinstatement, backwages is not<\/p>\n<p>automatic but depends on the facts and circumstances of each case.<\/p>\n<p>Fresh award shall be passed by the Tribunal within four months from<\/p>\n<p>the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment. To avoid delay, parties<\/p>\n<p>shall ascertain the date of posting of the case from the Tribunal for<\/p>\n<p>which they shall approach the office of the Tribunal on 2-5-2008 or on<\/p>\n<p>any subsequent date as directed by the Tribunal. The Registry shall<\/p>\n<p>forward a certified copy of the judgment to the Tribunal urgently for<\/p>\n<p>enabling the Tribunal to fix a date of posting accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>      The original petition is disposed of as above.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>                                     Sd\/- S. Siri Jagan, Judge.\n<\/p>\n<p>Tds\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kerala High Court Dvl.Personnel Officer vs P.Kasu on 9 April, 2008 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM OP.No. 9004 of 1998(V) 1. DVL.PERSONNEL OFFICER,S.RAILWAY &#8230; Petitioner Vs 1. P.KASU &#8230; Respondent For Petitioner :SRI.M.C.CHERIAN For Respondent :SRI.B.GOPAKUMAR The Hon&#8217;ble MR. Justice S.SIRI JAGAN Dated :09\/04\/2008 O R D E R S. Siri Jagan, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-high-court","category-kerala-high-court"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dvl.Personnel Officer vs P.Kasu on 9 April, 2008 - Free Judgements of Supreme Court &amp; High Court | Legal India<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/dvl-personnel-officer-vs-p-kasu-on-9-april-2008\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dvl.Personnel Officer vs P.Kasu on 9 April, 2008 - Free Judgements of Supreme Court &amp; 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