MUHAMMAD SALEEM vs NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION and others

This petition for leave to appeal arose from a service matter where the petitioner challenged the determination of his retirement date by the respondent. During the pendency of the proceedings, the petitioner had obtained ad interim orders allowing him to continue working. Upon final adjudication, the court upheld the respondent's determination regarding the petitioner's retirement date. Consequently, the court ordered that the salary received by the petitioner during the period covered by the ad interim orders be adjusted against the salary paid during that intervening period. The petitioner sought to retain the salary earned during this time on the basis that he had performed the work. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, holding that a litigant cannot be permitted to benefit from their own wrong or seek protection behind court orders obtained during litigation when the underlying claim is ultimately found to be meritless. The court affirmed the principle that interim relief does not create a vested right to retain benefits if the final adjudication determines the petitioner was not entitled to the position or status during that period.