SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1995 Supreme(Del) 283

High Court Of Delhi
KRISHAN CHAND - Appellant
Versus
UNION OF INDIA - Respondent
Civil Writ 1985 of 1994
Decided On : 03/28/1995

Advocates Appeared:
V.K.Seth, V.K.Shali

Headnote:Service Law - Selection — Judicial review thereof — The process of selection cannot be questioned — The court can only examine whether the process was fair and reasonable and whether the incumbent was considered in accordance with the norms laid down or not.

Anil Dev Singh, J.

( 1 ) THIS writ petition filed by the petitioner seeks expunction of complete confidential reports both by the initiating officer and reviewing officer of 6/86 and 6/88 and 5/89 and also challenges his non selection to the post of Colonel. The brief facts giving rise to this petition are as under:

( 2 ) THE petitioner is a serving officer of the Indian Army. He was approved for promotion to the select rank of Lt. Col. by Selection Board No. 4 in March,1989. In the year 1990 the petitioner was not detailed on Senior Command Course unlike his batch mates. This indicated that his confidential reports (for short "cr") after his selection as Lt. Colonel, being CR 5/89 and ICR 9/89, initiated by his Commanding Officer, Col. D. K. Nundy, with whom he had allegedly strained relations may have been based on his adverse subjective appraisal thereby degrading his profile. As a result of this apprehension, on December 3, 1990 the petitioner filed a non-statutory complaint before the Chief of the Army Staff. While the non- statutory complaint was pending the petitioner was considered for promotion by the Selection Board in September 1991 but he was not approved for the same. Later by a communication dated January 30, 1992 the petitioner was informed that the Chief of the Army Staff had set aside complete assessment by the initiating officer Col. Nundy for ACR 5/89 and ICR 9/89 on the ground of subjectivity. It may be mentioned that in the representation of the petitioner he had also brought to the notice of the Chief of the Army Staff the complaints of certain officers against his Commanding Officer. By a second communication of the same date viz January 30,1992 the Chief of the Army Staff directed investigation into the allegations of misappropriation of two unit generators. Yet by a third communication of the same date the petitioner was informed that the Chief of the Army staff while disposing of his non-statutory complaint remarked as follows:

"i do not feel the behaviour of this officer is an officer like"

( 3 ) AFTER the setting aside of ACR 5/89 and ICR 9/1989, in so far as it related to the assessment of the initiating officer, the petitioner was given fresh consideration for promotion to the rank of colonel by the Selection Board in August 1992 but he was again not approved for the same. The petitioner not having been approved for promotion filed a statutory complaint to the Central Government on January 4, 1993 against his non-selection to the next higher rank and also called in question the ACR of 6/86,6/88 and also ACR of 5/1989 recorded by the reviewing officer Brig. K. C. Dhingra. Before the statutory complaint was disposed of by the Central Government the petitioner was again considered by a Selection Board in May 1993 but he was not approved for promotion to the rank of Colonel. On October 27,1993 the Central Government rejected the statutory complaint. This was followed by yet another consideration,the fourth one, by the Selection Board but the petitioner was again not approved for promotion. In these circumstances aggrieved by the non approval for promotion and the rejection of the statutory complaint the petitioner has come to this court by way of this writ petition.

( 4 ) THE petitioner appearing in person submits that because of his straightforward and forthright approach his Commanding Officer D. K. Nundy was not happy with him. He also states that the Commanding Officer was entertaining a bias against him which resulted in the degradation of his service profile as the latter had given him an adverse ACR for 5/89 and ICR for 9/89. The apprehension of the petitioner is that for the same period the reviewing officer, Brig. Dhingra may also have made an adverse subjective assessment of his performance under the influence of Lt. Col. Nundy. The petitioner also submits that the remark of the Chief of the Army Staff that his behaviour was not officer like was unwarranted and had gone into his service record.






Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top