Natural justice breach in delayed appellate pronouncement led to quashing and remand for fresh hearing.

An appellate order delivered on a date other than the date fixed for pronouncement, without notice of the later date or an opportunity of hearing, was held unsustainable. The record disclosed no provision or notification authorising the authority to reserve the order and pronounce it later in that manner. Relying on the earlier decision cited, the Court treated the absence of notice and hearing as vitiating the appellate order, quashed it, and remanded the matter for fresh decision de novo after granting due hearing.

---

---

Issues: Whether the appellate order could be sustained when it was delivered on a date other than the date fixed for pronouncement without notice to the petitioner or opportunity of hearing, and whether the matter required reconsideration.

Analysis: The record and the affidavit filed before the Court disclosed no provision or notification authorising the appellate authority to reserve the order and pronounce it later without issuing notice of the next date or hearing the petitioner. The controversy was treated as covered by the earlier decision relied upon, and the absence of notice and hearing vitiated the appellate order.

Conclusion: The appellate order could not be sustained and was quashed. The matter was remanded for fresh decision de novo after granting due opportunity of hearing.

---