PUNAM KANWAR RATNAWAT D/O SHYAM SINGH v. THE STATE OF RAJASTHAN

Court: High Court of Rajasthan

Bench: SAMEER JAIN

Judgment date: 2024-12-20

Case summary

High Court of Rajasthan judgment dated 2024-12-20. PUNAM KANWAR RATNAWAT D/O SHYAM SINGH v. THE STATE OF RAJASTHAN. Read the judgment and case details on...

Judgment text

[2024:RJ-JP:52311] HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14079/2015 Smt Indu Bala Pareek aged about 48 years, wife of Dr. Ajay Purohit, R/o 79, Devi Nagar, New Sanganer Road, Jaipur ----Petitioner Versus 1. The State of Rajasthan through its Secretary, Secondary Education Department, Government of Rajasthan, Secretariat, Jaipur. 2. The Director, Secondary Education, Rajasthan, Bikaner 3. Deputy Director (Personnel), Siksha Sankulan, JLN Marg, Jaipur 4. Shri Kripal Singh son of Shri Dafedar Singh, aged about 59 years, R/o 42 B, Kalyan Colony, Tonk Pathak, Jaipur. ----Respondents With S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10765/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14889/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 16278/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 16960/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 17318/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18279/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 19010/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 17014/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No.

7083/2021 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8974/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10071/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10946/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 15934/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1796/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 4333/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 4409/2024 [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (2 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5328/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5541/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5828/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 9411/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10349/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12328/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12439/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14414/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 19716/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12844/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 4764/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14038/2021 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18827/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12540/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13775/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13781/2023 S. B.

Civil Writ Petition No. 13790/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13815/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14377/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 4886/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5402/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5901/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 9409/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10085/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 11336/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13480/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 2852/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8791/2022 [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (3 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8848/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 9070/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10968/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6023/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6904/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 19035/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 21047/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 25179/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8896/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5033/2021 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1962/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No.

7597/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 11743/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 4734/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6009/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6732/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6734/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8062/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8963/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12084/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13456/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13705/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 17042/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 17744/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 17771/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 17807/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18474/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 705/2024 [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (4 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 3554/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 3572/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 3605/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 3816/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 7000/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 7831/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10196/2024 S. B.

Civil Writ Petition No. 10904/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 11047/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12699/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14098/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14585/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14878/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 15253/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 16934/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18515/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18936/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 22558/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 23122/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13808/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 189/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5441/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6791/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12153/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12049/2021 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 7905/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8950/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10261/2022 [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (5 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10262/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10370/2022 S. B.

Civil Writ Petition No. 10422/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10455/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10774/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10814/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14192/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 15952/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 16182/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18113/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18171/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18506/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18833/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 279/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1216/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1404/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1420/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 2143/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 4121/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8724/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 15978/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 3512/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 4650/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5360/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5796/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6218/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No.

8010/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 16192/2018 [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (6 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18686/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 19954/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 22301/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 23754/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 24709/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6935/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 11240/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14471/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 16294/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1082/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6283/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12454/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14189/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 418/2021 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 684/2021 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6020/2021 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13258/2021 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1782/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 2397/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 4184/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 17302/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13273/2023 S. B.

Civil Writ Petition No. 17200/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 4480/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14125/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14305/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18621/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8682/2018 [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (7 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13209/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5546/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 15638/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12988/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6250/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 11182/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 20415/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 21658/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 26565/2018 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1501/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 2287/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12213/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12424/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 20767/2019 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1896/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1981/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 2931/2020 S. B.

Civil Writ Petition No. 3763/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5842/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 7790/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 7909/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8100/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8245/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 10192/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13686/2020 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12833/2021 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 13705/2021 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8220/2022 [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (8 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 14286/2022 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 16357/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 18152/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 20381/2023 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1094/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 2530/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 3366/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 3830/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 12713/2024 S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 16361/2024 For Petitioner(s) : Ms. Shoba Sharma for Mr. Gaurav Sharma Mr. Vijay Pathak Mr. Dinesh Yadav Mr.

Sunil Kumar Singodiya Mr. Sandeep Garssa Mr. Suresh Kumar Mr. Kartar Singh Faujdar Mr. Ram Pratap Saini Mr. Asgar Khan Mr. Pawan Sharma for Mr. Ashok Bansal Ms. Purvi Gupta for Mr. Shiv Charan Gupta Mr. Vinod Kumar Sharma Mr. Punit Singhvi Ms. Gunjan Sharma Mr. R D Meena Mr. Laxmi Kant Malpura Mr. Ashish Gausinga Mr. Prem Shanker Sharma Mr. Dharmendra Joshi Ms. Komal Kumari Giri Mr. R K Gouttam Mr. Devkrishna Purohit Mr. M S Raghav Mr. Tanveer Ahamad Mr. Digvijay Singh Mr. Dilip Singh Kurka Mr. N K Meena Mr. Sandeep Kalwaniya Mr. Pradeep Mathur [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (9 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] Mr. Arvind Gurjar Mr. Ashok Yadav Mr. Abhishek Singh Dewanda with Mr. Ankit Swami Mr. Koslesh Kumar Bairwa Mr. Babu Lal Bairwa Mr. D N Sharma Mr. Ram Dev Potalia Mr. Ashindra Gautam Ms. Suman Sharma Mr. Rahul Kamwar Mr. Vikash Kumar Jakhar Mr. Rahmat Ali Mr. Lalit Sharma Mr. Kapil Kulhar Mr. Rajeev Bhushan Bansal Mr. Suresh Khileri Mr. Shivatma Kumar Tank with Ms. Neha Godara Mr. Tarun Verma Mr.

Manish Kumar Sharma Mr. Akarsh Mathur Mr. Yellop Singh Mr. Shovit Jhajharia Mr. Vipin Sharma Mr. Sukhdev Singh Solanki Mr. Sudhir Gupta Mr. Dharam Chand Jain Mr. Rachit Sharma Mr. Atul Kumar Jain Mr. Dinesh Yadav Ms. Shital Mirdha Mr. Hanuman Choudhary Mr. Bajrang Sepat Mr. Narpat Singh Shekhawat Mr. Praveen Sharma Mr. Sanjay Mehla with Ms. Sunita Mehla Mr. Nagendra Sharma Ms. Sunita Sharma Mr. Virender Godara Mr. Deepak Bishnoi Mr. Gopendra Singh Shekhawat Mr. Ajay Shukla Mr. Yash Joshi Mr. Syed Adeel Naqvi Mr. Aman Ali Mr. Raj Kumar Kasana Mr. Raj Dev Tripathi Mr. Neeraj Kumar Sharma Mr. Kailash Chand Katara Mr. Akshit Gupta [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (10 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] Mr. Mahendra Sharma Mr. R B Sharma Ganthola Mr. Banwari Lal Sharma Mr. Namo Narayan Sharma Mr. Shree Narayan Swami Mr. Prahlad Sharma Mr. Sanjay Kumar Sharma Mr. Ravi Kant Sharma Mr. Ankit Sethi Mr. B B L Sharma Mr. Raj Sharma Mr. Durga Prasad Sharma Mr. Akhil Simlote Mr. Deen Dayal Sharma Mr. Manoj Kumar Avasthi Mr.

Rajendra Prasad Sharma Mr. Jetinder Kumar Saini Mr. Sukhraj Singh Rathore Mr. Virendra Singh Mr. Raghu Nandan Sharma Mr. Rajneesh Gupta Mr. Dheeraj Kumar Palia Mr. Prashant Vijay Mr. Vikas Jakhar Mr. Kuldeep Singh Punia Mr. Dinesh Kumar Saini Mr. Jai Kishan Yogi Mr. Bhupendar Kumar Sharma Mr. Mamraj Gurjar with Ms. Anushka Dikshit For Respondent(s) : Mr. Basant Singh Chhaba, AAG with Mr. Rahul Gupta Mr. Aniket Baniwal Mr. Ramdhan Mr. G. S. Gill, AAG with Mr. Surya Pratap Singh Mr. Sandeep Taneja, AAG Ms. Sara Parveen for Mr. Kapil Prakash Mathur, AAG Ms. Mahi Yadav, AAG with Ms. Manaswita Nalwal Ms. Aditi Vats for Mr. Bharat Vyas, AAG Mr. Yash Joshi for Mr. Vigyan Shah, AAG Mr. Shamee Khan for Mr. Bhuvnesh Sharma, AAG Mr. Manoj Sharma, AAG with Mr. S. M. Sharma Mr. Aditya Sharma for Mr. Keshar Singh Shekhawat, AGC Mr. Archit Bohra, AGC [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (11 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] Mr. Sumit Teterwal, CGSPC Mr. Sanjay Bharti, Dy. GC Mr. Gopal Krishna Sharma, AGC Ms.

Anjum Parveen Salawat for Ms. Namita Parihar, Dy. GC Ms. Manju Joshi, AGC with Mr. Shriram Jakhar Mr. Akash Gaur, Dy. GC Ms. Harshita Thakral for AG Mr. Shreyans Jain for Mr. Amit Lubhaya HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SAMEER JAIN Judgment 20/12/2024 1. Vide order dated 02. 12. 2024 passed in SB Civil Writ Petition No. 4880/2024 titled as Krishan Kumar Vs. Addl. Director and Anr. , Registrar (Judicial) was directed to list all the matters pertaining to transfer, APO, deputation and allied issues which were pending from a long period before appropriate Court. 2. In compliance of the aforementioned directions, the Registry has listed all the matters pertaining to transfer, APO, deputation of the employees/petitioners or allied matters, as under Code 510 list. 3. At the outset, it is noted that the Hon’ble Apex Court, through a plethora of judgments, has time and again held that the permissibility and scope of judicial review against transfer orders is minuscule.

The rationale exercised to circumscribe the Courts interference with transfer orders whilst exercising writ jurisdiction, primarily pertains to the fact that a bedlam of an aggravated magnitude shall ensue within the workings of the Government, if [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (12 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] all employees, posted at a location of their liking, refuse to and/or contest their postings, when issued on account of administrative exigencies. Inevitably, the only scope of interference subsists in an eventuality where the transfer orders are issued on account of certain malafides, at the end of the transferring authority. 4. By logical deduction, it is made rather obvious that no Government will be able to smoothly function if the Government Servants insist that once appointed or posted in a particular place, they should continue at such place, as long as they desire whilst meeting out their individualistic and familial ease.

The fact of the transfer being an indispensable part of an employee’s service is of paramount importance, which often loses favorability at the end of the employee, when they become comfortable with the place of their choosing. 5. It is noted that a government employee, posted at a location of their choice, does not have the fundamental protection to continue serving at the said location, especially in light of the fact that the incident of transfer, is a part and parcel of the conditions of service, when employed on a transferable post. It is true that the order of transfer often causes a lot of difficulties and dislocation in the family set up of the concerned employees but on that score alone, the order of transfer cannot be struck down. Administrative exigencies ought to prevail and/or take precedence over the familial and individualistic priorities of the employees posted on transferable jobs.

The only eventuality, where the Courts may extend interference in transfer orders, is when the transfer orders violate an applicable statute or are passed on [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (13 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] account of certain malice. In the matters in hand it is noteworthy that the petitions pertain to the period in-between 2015-2024, thence much water has flown. 6. In support of the aforesaid reliance can be placed upon the dictum of the Hon’ble Apex Court as enunciated in Shilpi Bose (Mrs. ) and Ors. vs. State of Bihar and Ors. reported in 1991 Supp. (2) SCC 659, Varadha Rao vs. State of Karnataka and Ors reported in (1986) 4 SCC 131, Rajendra Roy vs. Union of India and Anr. reported in (1993) 1 SCC 148, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. vs. Shri Bhagwan reported in (2001) 8 SCC 574, S. K. Nausad Rahaman vs. Union of India and Ors. reported in (2022) 12 SCC 1, State of Uttar Pradesh and Ors. Vs. Gordhan Lal reported in 2004 (11) SCC 42 and Union of India Vs. S. L.

Abbas reported in 1993 (4) SCC 357, and it can be deduced that transfer is an incidence of service and it is not an absolute right of an employee to remain at single place of posting and the employee can be rotated/transferred considering administrative exigencies, public interest, etc. by the competent authority. 7. The relevant extract from Shilpi Bose (Supra) is reproduced herein below: “4. In our opinion, the Courts should not interfere with a transfer Order which are made in public interest and for administrative reasons unless the transfer Orders are made in violation of any mandatory statutory Rule or on the ground of malafide. A Government servant holding a transferable post has no vested right to remain posted at one place or the other, he is liable to be [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (14 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] transferred from one place to the other. Transfer Orders issued by the competent authority do not violate any of his legal rights.

Even if a transfer Order is passed in violation of executive instructions or Orders, the Courts ordinarily should not interfere with the Order instead affected party should approach the higher authorities in the Department. If the Courts continue to interfere with day-to-day transfer Orders issued by the Government and its subordinate authorities, there will be complete chaos in the Administration which would not be conducive to public interest. The High Court over looked these aspects in interfering with the transfer Orders. ” 8. Qua the instant batch of petitions, it is analyzed that the petitions are pending from a prolonged time after getting ex-parte interim orders or stay orders. Illustratively, the writ petitioners in S. B. Civil Writ Petition No(s). 14079/2015, 10765/2018, 14889/2018 upon attaining interim protection(s), have not made efficacious efforts to contest the matter further, for a period of approximately five years and above.

The general practice qua transfers, APOs, deputations is that the transfer orders qua a personnel is passed as per the Annual General Transfer Policy within a period of three to five years of service or considering the unforeseeable administrative exigencies. However, the aggrieved employees upon attaining the interim orders/protections in their favor, let the petitions stale in the dockets of Registry. 9.

Having made the observations noted herein-above regarding the scope of judicial review/interference in transfer orders, this Court deems it appropriate to dispose of the instant bunch of [2024:RJ-JP:52311] (15 of 15) [CW-14079/2015] petitions with directions to the petitioners to file a representation before the concerned respondents/appropriate authority within a period of fortnight; and the respondents are directed to adjudicate the said representation within an upper limit of thirty days thereafter, strictly in accordance with law, following the ratio encapsulated in Shilpi Bose (Supra), the governing policy and the administrative exigencies. 10. It is made clear that on the forty-fifth day from the date of passing of this judgment, the interim order(s), if any, operative shall lapse and stand inoperative. 11. In light of the aforementioned, the instant batch of petitions shall stand disposed of with the above-stated directions.

Pending applications, if any, shall stand disposed of. (SAMEER JAIN),J JKP/DEEPAK/56, 59-68, 70-73, 75-82, 85, 88-92, 98, 102-107, 109-110, 112, 114-117, 120- 124, 129-130, 134-136, 142-146, 151-155, 158, 161-163, 171, 175-177, 179, 197, 199-207, 209-212, s-400-410, 415, 417-428, 430-438, 440-442, 445-450, 454-465, 468-472, 474-477, 479, 481-482, 485,-487, 489-492, 494, 496, 498, 503-508, 512-514, 518-519, 521-523, 527, 529-533, 536-539, 543-544, 553-558, 562

Source: Supreme Court eSCR. Dataset: Dattam Labs, CC BY 4.0. Text extracted automatically; compare with the source PDF for layout and accuracy.