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Shimla, March 13,
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled in favour of Dev Raj, a Kanungo, whose promotion to the post of Naib Tehsildar had been denied due to the pendency of a criminal case against him. The verdict, delivered by Justice Sandeep Sharma on March 7, 2025, holds that an employee cannot be barred from consideration for promotion merely due to pending criminal proceedings when no formal charge has been framed at the time of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting.
The petitioner, Dev Raj, was appointed as Patwari on February 5, 1996, and promoted to the post of Kanungo on January 11, 2017, after 21 years of service in the Revenue Department. Despite being listed in the final seniority list of Kanungos, his promotion was overlooked in the DPC meeting held on June 19, 2023, with several of his juniors being promoted instead. The sole reason cited for his exclusion was the pendency of an FIR registered against him in 2019 under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.
Justice Sharma, referencing the landmark Supreme Court judgment in Union of India vs. K.V. Jankiraman (AIR 1991 SCC 2010), clarified that promotion cannot be withheld on the basis of pending investigations unless a formal charge memo or charge sheet has been issued. The court observed that in Dev Raj’s case, no charge had been framed as of June 19, 2023, making his exclusion from promotion proceedings unjust and legally untenable.
“ It is quite apparent from aforesaid judgment that till the time charge is not framed against a delinquent official, promotion cannot be denied solely on the basis of lodging or registration of a criminal case,” noted the court. Adding that, “ Since on 19.06.2023, at the time of convening of meeting by the Departmental Promotion Committee, charge was not framed against the petitioner, Departmental Promotion Committee could not have ignored petitioner for promotion to the post of Naib Tehsildar.”
The court directed the state government and the concerned authorities to convene a review DPC within two months and reconsider Dev Raj’s promotion. If found eligible, he is to be promoted with retrospective effect from June 19, 2023, the date his juniors were promoted. Furthermore, the court mandated that all consequential benefits, including monetary dues, be released within a month of the review DPC’s decision. Failure to comply within the stipulated time frame would attract an interest rate of 6% per annum on the arrears.
About the Author
The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
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