HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH **** ****

Rajesh Khanna ... Petitioner VS.

Union of India & Ors. ... Respondents ****

1. Judgment reserved on 12.12.2025 2. Judgment pronounced on 29.01.2026 3. Judgment uploaded on 30.01.2026

4. Whether operative or full judgment Full 5. Delay in pronouncement of full judgment and reasons, if any NA ****

CORAM: HON’BLE MR.JUSTICE SANDEEP MOUDGIL ****

Present: Mr. Himanshu Sharma, Advocate for the petitioner Mr. Karanvir Singh Kathuria, Sr.Panel Counsel, UOI ****

Sandeep Moudgil, J.

(1). The jurisdiction of this Court has been invoked under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, inter alia, for issuing a writ of mandamus directing the respondents to charge Rs.30,000/- only as bond money as has been done in case of similarly situated persons in the same cadre, working on inter- transferrable posts having common seniority list with the petitioner in the same pay scale and under same employer. A further prayer has been made to refund the amount beyond Rs.30,000/- along with interest @ 24% p.a.

(2). Brief facts are that the petitioner cleared the All India Entrance Test conducted by the Union Public Service Commission and was selected as member