Lakhan Lal Sahu v. The Chairman Cum Managing
Case brief
What is this about?
High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur, WPS No. 566 of 2018 — Lakhan Lal Sahu v. Chairman Cum Managing Director, S E C L and others; decided 16/07/2025 by Hon'ble Shri Justice Rakesh Mohan Pandey (single judge). Subject: claim for wages/arrears attached to promotional posts where retrospective promotions were granted vide order dated 09.06.2015 pursuant to a direction in WP No. 1457/2006, but expressly without monetary benefits; petitioner pleaded the delayed promotion was the employer's mistake and sought 18% interest. Key rulings: prayers to quash the petitioner's own promotion order misconceived; Shiv Nandan Mahto (2013) 11 SCC 626 distinguished on approbate-and-reprobate ground (order accepting promotion carried a no-back-wages clause); claim defeated by unexplained delay of about 2 1/2 years; Bihar State Electricity Board v. Dharamdeo Das (2024 SCC OnLine SC 1768) applied — promotion effective from date granted, not date of vacancy; no absolute right to promotion. Outcome: writ petition dismissed, no costs. Useful keywords: back wages, monetary benefits, promotional post, promotion without monetary benefits, seniority-cum-merit, approbate and reprobate, delay/laches, S E C L.