RAMAN AHUJA Vs. PANJABI UNIVERSITY ETC

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present writ petition has been filed seeking the relief of admission in the Master of Personnel Management-Industrial Relations Course in the Department of Commerce and Business Management against one of the five seats lying vacant. The case of the petitioner is that he had applied for admission in the said course and qualified the entrance test, interview, group discussion etc. and was placed at Sr. No. 25 of the waiting list and out of 15 seats, only 10 seats had been filled up and the balance 5 seats were vacant at the time of filing the writ petition. The Department had, on enquiry made by the petitioner, stated that the name of the petitioner was low down in the waiting list but there was a possibility of his being granted admission and that he would be informed accordingly. On 26.08.1994, the petitioner received a telegram from the respondents directing the petitioner to check about vacant seat for admission to the Master of Personnel Management-Industrial Relations Course in the Department of Commerce and Business Management on 25.08.1994 at 11 a.m. and that seats would be offered according to merit subject to availability. In view of the fact that the telegram was received after the date on which he had to appear, it was not possible for the petitioner to reach at Chandigarh on the desired date and time. Consequently, the petitioner approached the Chairman of the respondent-Department on 30.08.1994 and thereafter, had made two representations but no action was taken. Resultantly, the present writ petition was filed.

(2.) Written statement was filed by the Department and it was pleaded that the telegram had been dispatched on 23.08.1994 by 5 p.m. and the petitioner had been asked to appear on 25.08.1994 and there was some miss-print and since the petitioner had not turned-up on 25.08.1994, the admission was closed on the said date. This Court, vide order dated 16.09.1994, had granted provisional admission subject to result of writ petition which reads as under:

(3.) Counsel for the petitioner has stated that in pursuance thereafter, the petitioner had got his degree by pursuing the said course. A period of almost 18 years has elapsed since then. The original copy of the telegram has also been placed on record as Annexure P-1 to show that it was received on 26.08.1994 by the petitioner and therefore, it was not physically possible for the petitioner, who was residing in New Delhi, to be present on 25.08.1994. In pursuance of the interim order dated 16.09.1994 passed by this Court, the petitioner has already completed his course. Accordingly, keeping in view the facts and circumstances, the interim order dated 16.09.1994 is confirmed and the writ petition is accordingly, disposed of. The respondent-University shall issue final certificate of the said course to the petitioner in case they have not already issued the same.