Is refusal of an adjournment by a Caste Scrutiny Committee a violation of natural justice where the proceedings were prolonged?

Not on these facts. The High Court held that the appellant had been afforded sufficient opportunity during the prolonged proceedings and that rejection of the adjournment application had neither caused prejudice nor resulted in violation of the principles of natural justice — the request having been made on account of the non-availability of his advocate and elderly family members after several rounds of hearings and reconstitutions of the Committee. This Court found no error in that conclusion.

Constitution of India — Art.142 — Scheduled Tribe certificate — Caste Scrutiny Committee — Invalidation of tribe claim — Protection of retiral and pensionary benefits — Constitution of India — Art.142 — Invalidated tribe claim — Complete justice in exceptional circumstances — Held: Invalidation of a caste or tribe claim upon verification ordinarily has consequences in law, but in exceptional circumstances where the equities of the case so warrant the power under Article 142 may be exercised to do complete justice. (¶13) Constitution of India — Art.142 — Long service ending in superannuation — Retiral benefits protected — Held further: Where the individual concerned served for more than three decades and retired on superannuation during the pendency of the appeal, the service rendered is protected for the limited purpose of computation and release of retiral and pensionary benefits. (¶14) Constitution of India — Art.142 — Scope of the protection — No validation of the tribe claim — Held further: Such protection does not amount to validation or recognition of the tribe claim, and neither the individual nor any member of the family may claim any future benefit on the basis of the invalidated caste certificate. (¶15) Scheduled Tribe certificate — Pre-constitutional family records — High probative value — Disposal — On facts, held: Pre-constitutional records of the grandfather and father recording the caste as ‘Koli’ possess high probative value, and the claim to the ‘Tokre Koli’ Scheduled Tribe stands rejected. Appeal allowed only as to retiral benefits; the invalidation is not interfered with. (¶7, 16)

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