Pawan Kumar Matto Vs Honble High Court of Delhi through Its Registrar General — Delhi HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Pawan Kumar Matto Vs Honble High Court of Delhi through Its Registrar General — Delhi HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

No substantive relief granted; liberty reserved to the petitioner to challenge the fresh order passed on his representation, if so advised.

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner (a Judicial Officer) is entitled to be graded 'A+' for the year 2023, especially since the special remarks recorded at the time of downgrading him no longer survive. +1 more

Ratio / Principle

Since the petitioner's representation has been duly considered by the respondent and a fresh order has been passed, the petitioner has a fresh cause of action to challenge that fresh order in accordance with law, if he is aggrieved of it.

Key takeaways

The petition and the pending application are disposed of, with liberty reserved to the petitioner to challenge the order passed on his representation, if so advised.ratio¶18

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Writ petition by a serving Judicial Officer of the Delhi district judiciary (W.P.(C) 4927/2025, decided 22.01.2026 by Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja, JJ.). The petitioner challenged: (i) his ACR dated 04.07.2024 for the year 2023, whereby his grading was downgraded from 'A+ (Outstanding)' (his 2022 grade) to 'B+ (Good)' without an opportunity of being heard; (ii) the rejection of his representation dated 08.08.2024, communicated vide Letters dated 16.01.2025 and 18.01.2025; and (iii) a Full Court Resolution dated 04.07.2024 directing him to undergo a day's training on 29.08.2024 at the Delhi Judicial Academy. During pendency, pursuant to the Bench's order dated 15.10.2025 and a further representation, the 2023 ACR was upgraded from B+ to A; learned counsel pressed that the petitioner was entitled to A+, the special remarks supporting the downgrade no longer surviving. The Bench observed that, the representation having been duly considered and a fresh order passed, the petitioner had a fresh cause of action to challenge that fresh order in accordance with law. The petition and pending application were accordingly disposed of, with liberty reserved to the petitioner to challenge the fresh order, if so advised.

$~33

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

W.P.(C) 4927/2025 & CM APPL. 65184/2025 PAWAN KUMAR MATTO .....Petitioner Through: Mr.Sagar Suri and Mr.Shubham Gupta, Advs.

versus

HONBLE HIGH COURT OF DELHI THROUGH ITS REGISTRAR GENERAL .....Respondent Through: Mr.S. Sunil, Adv.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE NAVIN CHAWLA HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAVINDER DUDEJA O R D E R % 22.01.2026

This petition has been filed by the petitioner praying for the following reliefs:

“A. Issue a Writ, Order or Direction in the nature of Certiorari or any other appropriate Writ for Quashing of ACR dated 04.07.2024 for the Year 2023 which was communicated to the Petitioner/Judicial Officer on 24.07.2024 wherein Petitioner/Judicial Officer's grading has been substantially downgraded from 'A+ (Outstanding)' [Petitioner/Judicial Officer's grading in 2022] to 'B+ (Good)' without providing any opportunity of being heard to the Petitioner/Judicial Officer; AND

B. Issue a Writ, Order or Direction in the nature of Certiorarified Mandamus settingaside the rejection of the representation dated 08.08.2024 which has been communicated to the Petitioner/Judicial Officer vide Letters dated 16.01.2025 and 18.01.2025 through Principal District and Sessions Judge, Shahdara District, Karkardooma Courts which was received by the Petitioner/ Judicial Officer on 20.01.2025 and thereby direct the Respondent to restore the 'A+' grade of the Petitioner/ Judicial Officer for the Year 2023;

This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 28/01/2026 at 12:38:44

AND

C. Issue a Writ, Order or Direction in the nature of Certiorari or any other appropriate Writ for Quashing of Full Court Resolution dated 04.07.2024 whereby Petitioner/ Judicial Officer was directed to undergo a days' Training on 29^th August, 2024 at Delhi Judicial Academy.”

Pursuant to our order dated 15.10.2025, and on a representation made by the petitioner, we are informed that the ACR of the petitioner for the year 2023 has been upgraded from B+ to A. The petitioner, however, is not satisfied with the same.

The learned counsel for the petitioner vehemently submits that the petitioner is entitled to be graded as A+ for the concerned year, especially when the special remarks recorded at the time of downgrading him no longer survive.

In our view, as the representation of the petitioner has been duly considered by the respondent and a fresh order has been passed, it would give a fresh cause of action to the petitioner to challenge the same in accordance with law, if he is aggrieved of the same.

As far as the present petition is concerned, we dispose it of, reserving liberty with the petitioner to challenge the order passed in his representation, if so advised. 6. The petition, along with the pending application, is accordingly disposed of.

NAVIN CHAWLA, J

RAVINDER DUDEJA, J

JANUARY 22, 2026/ ns/Yg

This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 28/01/2026 at 12:38:44