Pooja Gupta vs the Divisional Railway Manager Northern Eastern Railway Lko. and 4 Others — Allahabad HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Pooja Gupta vs the Divisional Railway Manager Northern Eastern Railway Lko. and 4 Others — Allahabad HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Direction to opposite party No.1 (Divisional Railway Manager, Northern Eastern Railway, Lucknow) to take a decision on the petitioner's application withdrawing her consent for mutual transfer, expeditiously and within two weeks of service of a certified copy of the order, after affording opportunity of hearing to opposite party No.5, in case no orders on the mutual transfer have been passed till date; notice to opposite party No.5 dispensed with.

Issue for consideration

Whether the authorities should be directed to cancel the mutual transfer proceeding initiated pursuant to the petitioner's consent dated 20.11.2025, and to approve cancellation of her transfer application on the official website, in light of her withdrawal of consent.

Court's answer

Consideration of the petitioner's grievance entails exercise of discretion by the authorities concerned; accordingly, opposite party No.1, the Divisional Railway Manager, Northern Eastern Railway, Lucknow, was directed to take a decision on the petitioner's application.

Ratio / Principle

The Divisional Railway Manager, Northern Eastern Railway, Lucknow was directed to decide the petitioner's application withdrawing her consent for mutual transfer expeditiously, within two weeks of service of a certified copy of the order, after affording opportunity of hearing to opposite party No.5 (Shilpa Chauhan), in case no orders on the mutual transfer had been passed till date.

Key takeaways

In view of the order being passed, notice to opposite party No.5 stands dispensed with.ratio¶11

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench (Manish Mathur, J.) — Writ petition by a railway employee (Pooja Gupta) seeking cancellation of a mutual transfer proceeding initiated on her consent dated 20.11.2025 with opposite party No.5 (Shilpa Chauhan), and approval of the cancellation on the official website. The petitioner had sought to withdraw her consent by submissions dated 02.02.2026 and 09.02.2026 owing to her parents' serious ailment and litigation over acquisition of her house; no order on the mutual transfer had been passed till date. Holding that consideration of the grievance would entail exercise of discretion by the authorities, the Court disposed of the petition directing the Divisional Railway Manager, Northern Eastern Railway, Lucknow to decide the withdrawal application expeditiously, within two weeks of service of a certified copy of the order, after affording opportunity of hearing to opposite party No.5, in case no orders on the mutual transfer had been passed till date. Notice to opposite party No.5 was dispensed with.

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD LUCKNOW

WRIT - A No. - 1962 of 2026

Pooja Gupta

.....Petitioner(s)

Versus

The Divisional Railway Manager Northern Eastern Railway Lko. And 4 Others

Eastern Railway Lko. And 4 Others .....Respondent(s) Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Dr. V.K. Singh, Smt. Manisha Singh Counsel for Respondent(s) : A.S.G.I.

Court No. - 7

HON'BLE MANISH MATHUR, J.

Heard learned counsel for petitioner and Mr. S. B. Pandey, learned Deputy Solicitor General of India assisted by Mr. Devrishi Kumar, learned counsel for opposite party Nos.1 to 4.

In view of order being passed, notice to opposite party No.5 stands dispensed with.

Petition has been filed seeking a direction to authority concerned to cancel mutual transfer proceeding initiated in view of consent given by petitioner on 20.11.2025. Concomitant prayer for approving details cancelling mutual petitioner's transfer application from the official website has also been sought.

It is submitted that although earlier petitioner had given consent for mutual transfer with opposite party No.5 on 20.11.2025, subsequently owing to serious ailment of parents of petitioner as well as litigation due to acquisition of petitioner's house, she sought to withdraw consent letter of approval being submitted on 02.02.2026 and 09.02.2026. It is submitted that till date no orders pertaining to said mutual transfer has been passed by authority concerned and the application for withdrawl of consent is well within time.

Since consideration of petitioner's grievance would entail exercise of discretion by the authorities concerned, opposite party No.1. i.e., The Divisional Railway Manager, Northern Eastern Railway, Lucknow is directed to take a decision on petitioner's application

WRIA No. 1962 of 2026

2

withdrawing her consent for mutual transfer dated 02.02.2026 and 20.02.2026 expeditiously, within a period of two weeks from the date a certified copy of this order is served upon the said authority, after affording opportunity of hearing to opposite party No.5, i.e, Shilpa Chauhan, in case no orders pertaining to such mutual transfer have been passed till date.

With the aforesaid direction(s), petition stands disposed of .

February 20, 2026 lakshman

(Manish Mathur,J.)

Digitally signed by :- LAKSHMANA KUMAR TAMMANA High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench