Nirbhay Kumar Sahu v. State of Chhattisgarh
Case brief
What is this about?
Chhattisgarh High Court (Bilaspur), WPS No. 2585 of 2025, decided 17/04/2025 by Bibhu Datta Guru, J.: writ petition challenging departmental enquiry, notice and charge sheet dated 06/02/2025 against former SDO-cum-Competent Authority (Land Acquisition), Abhanpur, over complaint of non-payment of compensation for acquired lands (Khasra Nos. 871/6 and 871/20) under the Bharatmala Raipur-Visakhapatnam corridor (award dated 18/03/2021). Held: charge sheet not to be quashed at initial stage; pleas to be raised before Disciplinary Authority (relying on Secretary, Ministry of Defence v. Prabhash Chandra Mirdha, (2012) 11 SCC 565); Amresh Shrivastava (Civil Appeal No.10590/2024) and P.R. Dewangan (WPS No.493/2018) distinguished; petition dismissed at motion stage.
What did the court decide?
A charge sheet should not be quashed at an initial stage; it is open to the petitioner to raise whatever pleas are available before the Disciplinary Authority, and any opinion expressed at this stage may affect the proceedings already initiated.