$~ * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Judgment reserved on: 12.11.2025 Judgment pronounced on: 28.11.2025

+ W.PA(C) 1264/2025, CM APPL. 6272/2025, CM APPL.

6274/2025 and CM APPL. 16438/2025

RAJESH KUMAR SINGH & ORS... Petitioners Through: versus

LOKPAL OF INDIA Through: CORAM: Mr. Vikas Singh, Senior Advocate along with Mr. Varun Singh, Ms. Deepeika Kalia, Ms. Kajal Gupta and Ms. Somesa Gupta, Advocates.

sense Respondent Mr. Nishant R. Katneshwarkar & Mr. Vijay Singh, Advocates.

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL KSHETARPAL HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HARISH VAIDYANATHAN SHANKAR

JUDGMENT

HARISH VAIDYANATHAN SHANKAR, J.

1. The present Writ Petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India’ challenging the Order dated 06.01.2025” passed by the learned Lokpal of India’ in Complaint No. 162/2024, as well as the consequential Notices dated 07.01.2025 issued to the Petitioners under Section 20(3) of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, ' Constitution ? Impugned Order 3 Lokpal/Respondent

Signatu Verifie®,(C) 1264/2025 Digitally STgnec By:HARVIN AUR BHATIA. Signing Date:29.) 1.2025 2013",

2. At the outset, it is noted that after the filing of this Petition, this Court passed an interim Order dated 31.01.2025 directing that any further orders passed by the Respondent would remain subject to the outcome of the present Petition. Subsequently, on an application moved by the Petitioners, this Court, vide Order dated 20.03.2025, directed that the Order dated 06.01.2025, the Notices dated 07.01.2025, the Order dated 04.03.2025, and all proceedings in Complaint No. 162/2024 pending before the learned Lokpal shall remain in abeyance until further orders.

BRIEF FACTS:

3. The conspectus of facts, to the extent material and germane to the present proceedings, is encapsulated in the following manner: I. Pursuant to a Complaint dated 04.07.2024, the Full Bench of the Lokpal, by Order dated 19.07.2024, purportedly in exercise of its powers under Section 20(1)(a) of the Lokpal Act, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation® to conduct a Preliminary Inquiry° into the allegations set out therein. The said complaint levelled wide-ranging charges of irregularities in recruitment and promotions within the National Productivity Council’, an autonomous body under the administrative control of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade®.

4 The Lokpal Act

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Order are broadly the following: a) b) c) d wm e)

Serious irregularities had been committed in the recruitment and promotion of officers and staff in NPC over several preceding years, in violation of the NPC Service Rules (in force since 01.04.1994) and the governing Administrative Instructions.

The promotions carried out on 28.03.2023, following Departmental Promotion Committee’ were in breach of DoPT guidelines and undertaken in undue haste, and disregarded mandatory procedural requirements.

Such promotions resulted in the supersession of officers by juniors who were allegedly 10-15 years below them in service, enabled through an interview process which allocated 50% weightage to interviews.

Two staff members were irregularly promoted from Pay Level-2 to Pay Level-6 in one step, and certain recruitments to the staff cadre were contrary to Administrative Instruction Nos. 303/81 and 431/87.

Acting on a complaint, the DPIIT constituted a High

Power Committee’? comprising senior officers of the Ministry, which examined the March 2023 promotions and recommended that the promotions to the posts of Deputy Director, Director Grade-I and Director Grade-II be set aside. The HPC made various’ other ° DPC '° HPC

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