Deshraj v. High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh and Another
Case brief
What is this about?
Keywords: departmental proceedings; stoppage of five increments; cumulative effect; Appellate Authority modification to three increments; disproportionality of punishment; shockingly disproportionate; strikingly disproportionate; judicial review Articles 226, 227, 32; Union of India v. Const. Sunil Kumar (Civil Appeal No.219 of 2023); Union of India v. R.K. Sharma (2001) 9 SCC 592; District and Sessions Judge, Palwal; concession of charges; writ petition dismissed; release of increments after punishment. Summary: A Single Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court (Harsimran Singh Sethi J., oral) dismissed Deshraj's CWP-10928-2025, which challenged departmental punishment of stoppage of three increments (with cumulative effect) after appellate reduction, holding on the Supreme Court's standard in Civil Appeal No.219 of 2023 that only shockingly disproportionate punishment warrants interference, and directing release of increment benefits in accordance with the punishment once served.