News Citation : 2026 LN (HC) 3
Bilaspur, 02.01.2026 : The High Court of Chhattisgarh has dismissed a large batch of writ petitions filed by Patwaris seeking directions for commencement of Revenue Inspector training, holding that the departmental examination conducted in 2023–24 was vitiated by serious irregularities that compromised its fairness and transparency. The ruling was delivered on January 2, 2026, by Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas, bringing to a close months of uncertainty surrounding the stalled promotion process.
The petitions arose after the State conducted a departmental examination on January 7, 2024, for promotion from Patwari to Revenue Inspector. While 216 candidates were declared successful and a final list of eligible candidates was published after document verification, the State withheld call letters for training. The delay followed complaints alleging malpractice, which prompted the constitution of a high-level inquiry committee and, later, a preliminary investigation by the Economic Offence Wing/Anti Corruption Bureau.
In a detailed order, the Court examined the committee’s report dated November 29, 2024, and found multiple procedural lapses that went to the root of the examination process. These included the presence of mobile number fields on OMR sheets, sudden doubling of questions without increasing examination time, suspicious allotment of consecutive roll numbers to close relatives posted in different districts, and unusually high scores that raised doubts about the sanctity of the test. The Court observed that such features undermined the purity of the examination and created a real possibility of systemic malaise rather than isolated irregularities.
Rejecting the petitioners’ plea of legitimate expectation, the Court held that no candidate could claim a right to training or promotion when the selection process itself was clouded by serious allegations and adverse findings. Relying on recent Supreme Court precedents, the judgment emphasised that where it is not possible to clearly segregate tainted candidates from untainted ones, courts must prioritise the integrity of the selection process, even if it causes hardship to some candidates.
At the same time, the Court clarified that its observations would not prejudice the ongoing criminal investigation and directed that the State remains free to conduct a fresh departmental examination in a fair and transparent manner, preserving public confidence in the recruitment and promotion system. With these findings, all the writ petitions were dismissed.
Case Reference : WPS No. 1205 of 2025 (Devendra Rajput and Others Vs State of Chhattisgarh and Others) with WPS No. 1739 of 2025 (Harish Kumar and Others vs State of Chhattisgarh and Others), WPS No. 1727 of 2025 (Pradeep Chandrakar and Others vs State of Chhattisgarh and IOthers) and WPS No. 1206 of 2025 (Dhananjay Singh and Others vs State of Chhattisgarh and Others)
Counsels : For Petitioners : Mr. Sunil Tripathi, Mr. Aman Keharwani, Mr. Shalvik Tiwari, Mr. Qamrul Aziz and Mr. Rohitashav Singh, Advocates For State : Mr. Suyash Dhar, Dy. Government Advocate and Mr. Sabyasachi Choubey, Panel Lawyer For Intervenor : Ms. Palak Dwivedi, Ms. Neha Khandekar & Mr. Shubham Dwivedi, Advocates.