The Hon’ble Supreme Court in Union of India & Ors. Etc. v. Prohlad Guha Etc. [2024] 8 S.C.R. 8 : 2024 INSC 563 reaffirmed and reiterated the principles of compassionate appointment.
It held that the principle of compassionate appointment has been put in place to ameliorate suffering that is cast upon members of a family upon the sudden death of the earning member. An equally well-recognized principle is that compassionate appointment cannot be claimed as a matter of right. It is therefore clear that a person claiming an appointment on such ground has to demonstrate his relationship to the deceased person and eligibility for appointment. The same cannot be done without placing all relevant documents before the competent authority.
Since fraud vitiates all proceedings, it, thus, becomes even more important that in such cases the petitioner comes with utmost clean hands, concealing nothing from the court which he has knocked the doors of to seek such prayers. Compassionate appointment is granted to those persons whose families are left deeply troubled or destitute by the primary breadwinner either having been incapacitated or having passed away. So when persons seeking appointment on such ground attempt to falsely establish their eligibility such positions cannot be allowed to be retained.