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Shimla, May 20
Himachal Pradesh High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the state government, the Union of India and senior IAS officer Sanjay Gupta on a public interest litigation challenging his appointment as Chief Secretary of the state.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi passed the order while hearing CWPIL No. 44 of 2026 titled Tilak Raj Sharma versus State of H.P. and others. The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 21, 2026.
According to the order uploaded on the High Court website, the petitioner has challenged the state government’s decision dated October 1, 2025, whereby Sanjay Gupta was given the additional charge of the office of Chief Secretary.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Deven Khanna submitted that three FIRs had already been registered against Gupta and that he was facing cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The petition contended that despite the pendency of these cases, he was appointed to one of the most sensitive administrative positions in the state.
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The plea further referred to the revised Vigilance Clearance Guidelines dated October 9, 2024, relating to All India Services and Central Civil Services officers. The petitioner argued that Clause 7 of the guidelines mandates that appointments to sensitive posts must be considered in light of the vigilance status of the concerned officer before any decision is taken.
The petitioner also relied upon Supreme Court judgments to argue that the post of Chief Secretary is a highly sensitive office requiring institutional integrity. Reference was made before the court to judicial observations emphasizing scrutiny and vigilance clearance in appointments to top bureaucratic posts.
The court order records that Deputy Advocate General Sidharth Jalta accepted notice on behalf of respondents No. 1 and 2, while Central Government Counsel Janak Raj accepted notice on behalf of respondent No. 3, the Union of India.
The Bench also noted that the petitioner had deposited Rs 2 lakh in compliance with an earlier direction of the court to establish his bona fides in pursuing the PIL.
The development assumes significance as similar litigations concerning appointments to the state’s top bureaucratic positions have earlier reached the High Court.
The present petition seeks judicial scrutiny of the appointment process in view of the allegations and pending vigilance-related matters cited against the officer concerned.
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