Delhi High Court Imposes ₹20K Costs On Centre For Concealing Facts In Plea Against Sameer Wankhede's Promotion

The Delhi High Court on Friday fined the Central Government for concealing facts in its plea seeking review of the ruling concerning grant of promotion to IRS officer Sameer Wankhede. 

A division bench comprising Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Madhu Jain imposed costs of Rs. 20,000 on the Central Government and dismissed the review petition.

While deprecating the conduct, the Bench said it expects that the Union Government will disclose all the facts truthfully before filing of the plea.

The Bench noted that the Centre failed to disclose the fact that the CAT, in August, had stayed the departmental proceedings against Wankhede.

The Bench dismissed the review plea noting that the order of the CAT was passed before the Centre filed the review.

The Centre had sought review of the ruling passed on August 28 dismissing its plea against a direction to grant promotion to Wankhede, if he is found suitable by the UPSC. 

The Bench had upheld the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal, while asking the Union Government to comply with the direction within four weeks.

Vide the impugned order, the CAT had directed the government to open the sealed cover pertaining to Wankhede's promotion and said that if his name is recommended by UPSC, he shall be granted promotion to the post of Additional Commissioner w.e.f. January 01, 2021.

It was the Central Government's case that the Tribunal failed to appreciate the fact that cases were registered against Wankhede by CBI and ED and that a complaint was also received alleging that he had submitted a forged Caste Certificate for obtaining employment.

Rejecting the plea, the Court had noted that there was no Departmental Proceedings pending against Wankhede wherein any charge-sheet had been issued against him.

It had further noted that Wankhede had also neither been placed under suspension nor any charge-sheet in a criminal prosecution was filed against him.

Wankhede came to limelight in connection with the Cordelia Cruise drugs case involving actor Shahrukh Khan's son Aryan Khan.

Title: UNION OF INDIA AND ORS v. SAMEER DNYANDEV WANKHEDE