104.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of decision: 16.01.2026 Lakhveer Kaur, through her SPA Rajinder Pal Singh .... Petitioner Versus State of Punjab and others .... Respondents CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE NAMIT KUMAR Present: Mr. R.S. Rangpuri, Advocate, for the petitioner.

Mr. Satnampreet Singh Chauhan, DAG, Punjab.

-----

NAMIT KUMAR, J. (ORAL)

1. The petitioner, who is presently residing in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, has invoked the writ jurisdiction of this Court by filing the instant petition, through her Special Power of Attorney-Rajinder Pal Singh (father- in-law of the petitioner), under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India, seeking issuance of directions to the respondents to extend the date of joining of the petitioner in pursuance to the appointment order dated 06.08.2025 (Annexure P-3), and quash the order dated 02.09.2025 (Annexure P-5) vide which, the offer of appointment has been cancelled.

2. Brief facts, as have been pleaded in the present petition, are that the mother-in-law of the petitioner, namely, Mandeep Kaur, was posted as Anganwari worker at Village Bhalaiana Centre under Block Kot Bhai at Gidderbaha, and she unfortunately died on 14.05.2024. The petitioner, being daughter-in-law of the deceased-worker, applied for appointment on compassionate ground and submitted all the necessary documents with respondent No.4 on 19.07.2024, but, however, no action was taken by respondent No.4 on the application of the petitioner. Thereafter, she went abroad on temporary basis in December, 2024, by giving authority to her father-in-law to take necessary steps regarding her appointment. Thereafter, vide letter dated 06.08.2025 (Annexure P-3), the petitioner was offered appointment, and was assigned the work of Anganwari worker and directed to join her duties within 15 days. The SPA of the petitioner visited the office of respondent No.4 and apprised her about non-availability of the petitioner and requested to extend the date of joining upto the last week of October, 2025, so that the petitioner can windup the things in abroad and can come back to join her duties. But, however, respondent No.4, vide letter No.588, dated 20.08.2025, asked the petitioner to join duty within 03 days. Thereafter, the SPA of the petitioner again submitted representation dated 25.08.2025 (Annexure P-4), in the office of respondent No.4, seeking more time to join the duty, but however, the said representation was rejected, vide order dated 02.09.2025 (Annexure P-5), and the offer of appointment issued to the petitioner, vide letter dated 06.08.2025, was cancelled. The petitioner through her SPA got issued a legal notice dated 06.09.2025 (Annexure P-7), demanding the extension of date of joining of the petitioner, but to no avail. It is the said order dated 02.09.2025 (Annexure P-5), which has been impugned by way of present writ petition.

3. The matter came up for hearing on 17.11.2025 and the following order was passed:-

“Learned counsel for the petitioner seeks an adjournment to place on record the policy/instructions of the Government which provide right of appointment to the Daughter-in-law.

Adjourned to 18.12.2025.”

On 18.12.2025, the matter was adjourned for today. However, the policy/instructions have not been placed on record by the petitioner.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the action of the respondent in cancelling the offer of appointment, vide impugned order dated 02.09.2025 (Annexure P-5), is totally illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional, as the petitioner is living abroad and had requested through her attorney to extend the period of joining. However, the said request has been rejected by the respondents in a totally illegal and arbitrary manner.

5. On receipt of advance copy of the petition, Mr. Satnampreet Singh Chauhan, DAG, Punjab, appears and submits that the petitioner was issued offer of appointment on 06.08.2025 and she was asked to join her duties within 15 days and on the r