The appellants — widows, legal representatives, and former employees of the Department of Posts who had served as casual labourers (Night Guards) for several decades — challenged the Patna High Court's reversal of Central Administrative Tribunal orders that had granted them pensionary benefits. The employees had been conferred 'temporary status' under the 1991 Casual Labourers Scheme and were later treated at par with temporary Group 'D' employees, but were never formally regularised. The Respondent–Union of India argued that formal regularisation was a mandatory prerequisite for pension entitlement under the applicable scheme, while the appellants contended that temporary government servants who retire after the prescribed qualifying service are entitled to pension under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, and that the claim for pension constitutes a continuing cause of action not barred by delay. The Supreme Court granted leave and was hearing arguments on whether the denial of pensionary benefits to these long-serving employees was legally sustainable.