In Brief
The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal challenging appointments of 22 Sub-Inspector candidates made by the Jammu & Kashmir Police outside the strict order of merit. The appellants—higher-ranked candidates who were left out—argued the appointments violated Articles 14 and 16. The Court held that while the appointments were irregular and not in conformity with recruitment rules, they would not be disturbed. After 12+ years of service, equitable considerations and the State's bonafide concession to end decades-long litigation outweighed strict merit compliance. The Court reaffirmed that irregular State action cannot justify further illegality; Article 14 does not mandate perpetuating errors through negative equality. The High Court's reasoning invoking Article 142 was clarified as incorrect; the appointments rested solely on the State's statement.
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