High court directs Haryana to appoint mountaineer Kuldeep Ruhil as ASI, release cash award

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Haryana govt to appoint mountaineer Kuldeep Ruhil serving as a constable to the post of assistant sub inspector (ASI) in the Haryana police.
The high court has also directed the state govt to release the cash award to Ruhil for conquering Mount Everest, ensuring parity with those already paid by the state and setting a deadline of three months for the action. Ruhil scaled Mount Everest in May 2012.
Justice Jagmohan Bansal passed the order on a petition filed by Ruhil for his appointment as deputy superintendent of police and a cash award of Rs 21 lakh for scaling Mount Everest. He submitted a representation to the state govt in 2016.
The high court was informed that several people, including Ruhil, had conquered Mount Everest. The state govt considered Ruhil's case, along with those of others similarly situated, for positions ranging from ASI to DSP. The state, at the first instance, formed an opinion that the petitioner should be appointed as ASI. However, the state, as per its convenience, issued appointment letters to a few sportspersons who conquered Everest but did not issue one to Ruhil.
Ruhil's counsel said that by a common letter dated May 28, 2012, the state govt recommended the names of seven people for the post of ASI. Three people were already working with the state because they were issued appointment letters. Kumari Sunita Singh and Raju Sindhu were issued appointment letters on the direction of this court, whereas Sushma Kanwar was issued an appointment letter by the state itself.
When asked by the court, the state counsel expressed inability to controvert the fact that the state govt considered the claim of the petitioners and the letter whereby they were proposed to be issued appointment letters was never recalled. Rather, a few similarly situated people have already been issued appointment letters.
The state, however, mainly claimed that there was no policy in force permitting the issuance of appointment letters to mountaineers. It was contended that the petitioner conquered Mount Everest and that the sport was not notified in the sports policy, thus, he was not entitled to appointment to the post of ASI.
After hearing all the parties, the high court held that the petitioner, on the ground of parity, is entitled to the post of at least ASI along with the cash award.
MSID:: 119809610 413 |