WP(C)/1093/2026 of ANKU BHARALI Vs THE INDIAN OIL CORPORATION LIMITED, on 2 September 2026

ORDER

Date : 03.09.2026

Heard Mr. P. Nayak and Ms. P. Baruah, learned counsel for the petitioners. Also heard Mr. N. Deka, learned Senior Counsel, assisted by Mr. M. Gogoi, learned counsel appearing for the respondent/Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).

2. By filing these writ petitions, the petitioners have prayed for a direction to the respondent authorities to declare the result of the Skill/Proficiency/Physical Test held on 03.01.2025 pursuant to the Advertisement dated 20.07.2024, in respect of Post Code-202: Junior Engineering Assistant-IV (P&U), and consequently, allow the qualified candidates to appear in the Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME).

3. Having considered the similitude of the issues involved in both these writ petitions and the identical nature of the reliefs sought,same are heard analogously and disposed of by this common order.

4. The case of the petitioners, in brief, is that pursuant to the Advertisement dated 20.07.2024 issued by the IOCL for filling up various posts, including 10 (ten) posts of Junior Engineering Assistant-IV (P&U) under Post Code-202, the petitioners, having fulfilled the requisite eligibility criteria, applied for the said post. They appeared in the Computer Based Test (CBT) held on 29.09.2024 and, having qualified therein, were provisionally shortlisted for the Skill/Proficiency/Physical Test, which was held on 03.01.2025.However, when the list of provisionally shortlisted candidates for the subsequent stage of PEME

was published on 21.01.2025, the result in respect of Post Code-202 was kept reserved on the ground that WP(C) No. 62/2025, WP(C) No. 7069/2024 and WP(C) No. 99/2025 were pending before this Court.

5. Mr. P. Nayak, learned counsel for the petitioners, submits that there was no order passed by this Court in any of the aforesaid writ petitions restraining the respondent authorities from declaring the result of the Skill/Proficiency/Physical Test in respect of Post Code-202. He submits that the respondent authorities, on an erroneous understanding of the orders passed in the said writ petitions, have withheld the result of the petitioners and consequently, deprived them of an opportunity to participate in the subsequent stage of the recruitment process. Be that as it may be, learned counsel submits that by now the aforesaid writ petitions have since been disposed of/dismissed and therefore, there is no impediment now in declaring the result of the petitioners.

6. Mr. N. Deka, learned Senior Counsel for the respondents, fairly submits that in view of the disposal/dismissal of the 3 (three) writ petitions, by now, there would not be any hurdles to declare the result as sought for by the petitioners.

7. Considered the submissions of learned counsel for the parties and also perused the materials available on record.

8. The simple issue that arises for consideration in these writ petitions is as to whether, in the facts and circumstances of the case, the respondent authorities could withhold the result of the Skill/Proficiency/Physical Test conducted for the post of Junior Engineering Assistant-IV (P&U) under Post Code-202, on account of pendency of the aforesaid writ petitions before this Court. It is not in dispute that the petitioners had participated in the recruitment process pursuant to the

Advertisement dated 20.07.2024, qualified in the Computer Based Test and thereafter appeared in the Skill/Proficiency/Physical Test held on 03.01.2025. However, their result was kept reserved pending the outcome of WP(C) No. 62/2025, WP(C) No. 7069/2024 and WP(C) No. 99/2025.

9. From the submissions advanced by the learned counsel for the parties, it emerges that none of the aforesaid writ petitions is presently pending before this Court, all of them have already been disposed of/dismissed. The learned Senior Counsel appearing for the respondent/IOCL has also fairly submitted that, in view of the disposal/dismissal of the said writ petitions, there is no longer any impediment in declaring the result of the Skill/Proficiency/Physical Test in respect of Post Code-202.

10. In view of the aforesaid position and having regard to the fact that the result in respect of Post Code-202 were kept reserved only on account of the pendency of the aforesaid writ petitions, this Court finds no justification for the continued withholding of the result. Even otherwise, admittedly, there was no order passed in any of the said writ petitions restraining the respondent authorities from declaring the result of the Skill/Proficiency/Physical Test. Since the said writ petitions have also been disposed of/dismissed, as of now, there isno subsisting impediment for declaration of the result. In such circumstances, the continued withholding of the result of the petitioners cannot be sustainedand therefore, I deem it appropriate to allow these writ petitions.

11. Accordingly, The respondent authorities are directed to declare the result of the Skill/Proficiency/Physical Test held on 03.01.2025 in respect of Post Code- 202: Junior Engineering Assistant-IV (P&U) and, if the petitioners are found qualified, allow them to participate in the subsequent stage of the recruitment process, including the Pre-Employment Medical Examination, in accordance with the applicable rules and terms of the Advertisement dated 20.07.2024.The exercise, as directed hereinabove, shall be completed expeditiously but not later than outer limit of 3 (three) weeks from today.

12. In the result, both the writ petitions stand allowed and disposed of accordingly.

JUDGE Comparing Assistant