Supreme Court upholds promotion of Chandigarh DSP Ram Gopal to SP rank

By Anamika Tiwari
Chandigarh [India], October 17 (ANI): Chandigarh Police officer DSP Ram Gopal has received a major relief from the Supreme Court of India, which dismissed the Chandigarh Administration's petition challenging his promotion to the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP).
With this, the administration is now bound to implement the orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and the Punjab and Haryana High Court, granting him the promotion along with all consequential benefits.
While pronouncing the judgment, the Supreme Court observed that there was no irregularity in Ram Gopal's promotion process. It upheld the earlier findings of the CAT and the High Court, which had both validated the inquiry report and found the promotion legally sound.
The order marks the end of a seven-year-long legal battle for DSP Ram Gopal, who had been fighting for his rightful elevation to the SP rank since 2017.
The legal journey began when the Central Administrative Tribunal, on November 24, 2020, ruled in favour of Ram Gopal and directed the Chandigarh Administration to promote him within two months. The tribunal also ordered the administration to grant him all arrears of pay, seniority, and other consequential benefits.
However, the administration challenged this decision before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which also dismissed the plea and directed that the promotion be implemented within two weeks.
Undeterred, the administration approached the Supreme Court in February 2021, seeking to overturn the previous rulings. After prolonged hearings, the Supreme Court finally dismissed the petition earlier this week, upholding the lower courts' orders and directing compliance with the promotion.
Ram Gopal's fight for promotion dates back to 2017, when he applied for the SP post under the Chandigarh Administration's notified promotion policy. However, on December 17, 2018, the administration rejected his application, claiming that no sanctioned SP post was available for promotion from the DSP rank.
Challenging the decision before the CAT set in motion a legal battle that ultimately concluded in the Supreme Court's favour for him.
Ram Gopal was initially appointed as a direct Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) in 1998 under the sports quota. Over the years, he rose through the ranks and was later promoted to the position of Inspector. His promotions, however, were repeatedly challenged by some sub-inspectors through departmental inquiries and court cases.
Allegations of irregularities and forgery were also levelled against him, but a detailed inquiry by a senior IPS officer found all such charges baseless.
With the Supreme Court's ruling now in his favour, the Chandigarh Administration is expected to promote Ram Gopal to the rank of Superintendent of Police, finally bringing closure to a prolonged and hard-fought legal struggle. (ANI)