Larger Bench adjournment in a connected classification dispute justified where an imminent Supreme Court ruling may govern the issue.

A Larger Bench may defer hearing where a connected Supreme Court appeal is likely to determine the same classification issue and avoid inconsistent outcomes. The majority treated adjournment sine die as expedient because the controversy was limited in time, the same legal question was already pending before the Supreme Court, and the impending ruling was expected to govern the reference. The dissent considered indefinite adjournment inconsistent with the purpose of constituting a Larger Bench to resolve conflicting views and preferred an immediate answer. The proceeding was therefore kept in abeyance pending the Supreme Court's decision.

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Issues: Whether the appeals/reference should be adjourned sine die pending the Supreme Court's decision in a connected matter, or heard and decided by the Larger Bench.

Analysis: The majority held that although a pending appeal before the Supreme Court would ordinarily not justify adjournment, the present controversy was confined to a short period and involved the same classification question that was already under challenge before the Supreme Court. Since the purpose of the Larger Bench was to resolve conflicting views and the forthcoming Supreme Court decision would govern the issue, the Bench considered it expedient to await that decision. The dissenting opinion held that constituting a Larger Bench to settle conflicting views would be defeated if the matter were adjourned indefinitely merely because a related appeal was pending before the Supreme Court, and that the reference should be answered without delay.

Conclusion: The majority concluded that the appeals should be adjourned sine die.

Final Conclusion: The proceeding was not decided on the classification controversy and was kept in abeyance until the Supreme Court's ruling in the connected appeal.

Ratio Decidendi: A Larger Bench may, in the exercise of its procedural powers, defer hearing where an imminent Supreme Court decision in a connected matter is expected to resolve the same controversy and avoid inconsistent outcomes.

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