DIVISIONAL MANAGER Vs. TULASHIRAM RAMA KHUTADE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This batch of Letters Patent Appeals assails a common judgment and order dtd. 13/6/2001 rendered by the learned Single Judge on a clutch of petitions, hence, they are being disposed of by this common judgment. At the outset, we need to observe that the impugned judgment and order passed by the learned Single Judge confirms the orders passed by the Industrial Court. Hence, the concurrent findings of the Courts against the appellant is the subject matter of consideration in these appeals.

(2.) The facts are identical, insofar as all these writ petitions decided by the learned Single Judge are concerned, except that the respondents/employees in the respective writ petitions were appointed by the appellant as watchmen on different dates. There is no dispute in regard to the dates of their appointment and in fact, a seniority list of all the appointees was prepared and placed on record before the Industrial Court as also the learned Single Judge.

(3.) The common appellant in all these appeals namely the Forest Development Corporation Ltd., is the original petitioner, in the writ petitions filed before the learned Single Judge. It is not in dispute that the appellant is a Corporation/an entity formed by the State of Maharashtra and is fully within its control as the law would recognize including the same to be a 'State' within the meaning and purview of Article 12 of the Constitution.