Urmila Halder vs New India Assurance Co. Ltd. & Ors on 9 August, 2018
67. The doctrine of fairness has also been applied by this Court in
Vijay v. State of Maharashtra : (2006) 6 SCC 289. A restriction was
introduced providing that a person shall not be a member of a
panchayat or continue as such, if he has been elected as a Councillor
of Zila Parishad or as a member of the Panchayat Samiti. This
restriction was held to be retrospective and applicable to the existing
members of the panchayat also. Applying the rule of literal
construction, this Court held that when a literal reading of the
provision giving retrospective effect does not produce absurdity or
anomaly, the same would not be construed only prospective. This was
further strengthened by the application of the rule of fairness."