Authority: High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur

Order Date: 07.07.2026

Case Overview

  • Appellant: Director General of Chhattisgarh Council of Science and Technology (CGCST), represented by Dr. Saurabh Kumar Pande, Advocate.
  • Respondents: 1) Dooman Lal Soni, Peon, CGCST, aged about 41 years; 2) State of Chhattisgarh, represented by Deputy Advocate General Mr. Prasun Bhaduri.
  • Nature of Proceeding: Intra‑court appeal (WA No. 556 of 2026) against the order dated 15.04.2026 passed by the learned Single Judge in WPS No. 6573 of 2021, which had allowed the writ petition filed by the respondent‑petitioner Dooman Lal Soni.
  • Background: The respondent‑petitioner was initially engaged during 2011‑2012, regularized in 2014 as a Peon on the regular pay‑scale, and thereafter continuously discharged duties, thereby acquiring the status of a regular employee under service jurisprudence. He completed the prescribed probation period; no order extending probation was recorded. The appellant terminated the employee on 21.09.2020 and an appellate order followed on 17.03.2021, both allegedly without a proper departmental enquiry, violating principles of natural justice and Article 311(2) of the Constitution.
  • Precedent Cited: The bench noted that the facts were identical to WA No. 536 of 2026 (Director General of CGCST vs. Aryahind Yadav & Another), dismissed on 02.07.2026, where the Single Judge’s findings on regularisation, probation completion, and the necessity of a departmental enquiry were upheld.
  • Court’s Reasoning: The Court affirmed that the Single Judge correctly appreciated the factual matrix, recognized the respondent‑petitioner’s regular employee status, applied Article 311(2) protection, and correctly held that termination without a full departmental enquiry violates natural justice. The Court found no infirmity in the Single Judge’s order and deemed the appeal devoid of merit.

Final Outcome

  • The appeal (WA No. 556 of 2026) is dismissed in accordance with the order dated 02.07.2026 in WA No. 536 of 2026.
  • No costs are awarded.

Topics: Employment Law, Constitutional Protection