STATE OF HARYANA vs ANKUR GUPTA

The Supreme Court upheld the Punjab and Haryana High Court's decision that the respondent's appointment on compassionate grounds was unjustified due to a policy change effective from 22.8.1996, which prohibited such appointments if one parent was still in government service. The Court noted that while the respondent had worked for four years without fraud or misrepresentation, the appointment was made in violation of the policy. The Court emphasized that compassionate appointments are not a matter of legal right under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, but rather a discretionary relief in times of crisis.