Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:46701 Court No. - 4 Case :- WRIT - A No. - 19842 of 2024 Petitioner :- Sageer Ahmad Respondent :- State Of U.P. And 4 Others Counsel for Petitioner :- Rajendra Prasad Shukla,Rakesh Kumar Mishra Counsel for Respondent :- C.S.C. Hon'ble Ajit Kumar,J. 1. Heard learned counsel for the parties. 2. By means of this petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution, petitioner wants consideration of his claim for promotion from the post of Head Constable to Sub Inspector in civil police. 3. It is submitted by learned counsel for the petitioner that though his candidature for promotion was considered but result of the same was placed in sealed cover by the Departmental Promotional Committee only on account of pending criminal case. It is further submitted that earlier the petitioner had approached the competent authority for consideration but his claim for opening the sealed cover was rejected only the ground that one year period, as was required for opening the sealed cover vide paragraph-10 of the Government Order dated 28.05.1997, had not elapsed. It is submitted that since this order came to be passed on 23rd March, 2023 and the sealed cover procedure was adopted on 21st February, 2023 now one year period has elapsed, accordingly, now the respondents can be directed to open the sealed cover and offer Ad hoc promotion to the petitioner so long as criminal case continues. It is submitted that the petitioner cannot been held responsible for the delay in disposal of pending criminal case. 4. Learned Standing Counsel has obtained instructions in the matter and as per the instructions a request for opening of sealed cover also stood subsequently rejected by the Director General of Police vide his order dated 12.12.2024, copy whereof has been placed on record. 5. The Court takes judicial notice of the order. It transpires that the claim of the petitioner has come to be rejected only on the ground that the petitioner has been implicated in a criminal case for alleged corruption charges and therefore, in such circumstances, if he is promoted on Ad-hoc basis, it may affect the police administration adversely. 6. In my considered view, the Government Order does not provide for such discretion to be exercised by the Director General of Police. Once a sealed cover procedure is opened and there is recommendation by the Departmental Promotional Committee for promotion in favour of the petitioner, respondents cannot deny this benefit to the petitioner. However, it will always remain open for the respondent to initiate disciplinary proceedings if it so decides. Even otherwise an Ad-hoc promotion does not mean substantive promotion. Petitioner’s good conduct as Ad-hoc promoted employee can always be subject to watch by the higher authorities. 7. In such circumstances, therefore, the order dated 12.12.2024 passed by the Director General of Police, Establishment U.P. is held to be untenable and the same is hereby set aside. 8. In view of the above, the petition stands disposed of with a direction to the respondent no. 4 to open the sealed cover in which the result of the petitioner for promotion has been kept on account of decision taken by the Departmental Promotional Committee in the light of provisions as contained in paragraph-10 of the Government Order dated 28.05.1997, which is reproduced hereunder:- "(10) चयन सममिमति दद्वारद्वा प्रथमि बद्वार आररोमपिति कद्वाममिरक ककी प्ररोन्नमति पिर मविचद्वार करनन एविवं मिमुहर बन्द ललिफद्वाफन ककी प्रमक्रियद्वा अपिनद्वायन जद्वानन कन बद्वाद एक विरर ककी अविलधि बबीति जद्वानन पिर भबी (इस अविलधि मिम ऐसबी अविलधि आगमणिति नहहीं ककी जद्वायनगबी लजसमिम अपिचद्वारबी कद्वाममिरक दद्वारद्वा असहयरोग कन कद्वारणि जद्वाजाँच प्रमक्रियद्वा मिम मविलिम्ब हहआ ) यमद आररोमपिति कद्वाममिरक कन मविरय मिम प्रशद्वासनद्वालधिकरणि ककी जद्वाजाँच मविभद्वागबीय कद्वायरविद्वाहबी/अमभयरोजन कद्वा अनन्तिमि पिररणिद्वामि प्रद्वाप्त न हहआ हरो, तिरो ऐसन कद्वाममिरककों कन मविरय मिम, जरो मनलिनम्बति नहहीं हह, चयन सममिमति दद्वारद्वा मनम्नललिलखिति प्रमतिबन्धिकों कन सद्वाथ तिदथर आधिद्वार पिर प्ररोन्नमति कन सम्बन्धि मिम मविचद्वार मकयद्वा जद्वायनगद्वाग- (क) आररोमपिति कद्वाममिरक कन मविरुद्ध लिगद्वायन गयन आररोपि क्यद्वा इतिनन गवंभबीर हह मक उनकन आधिद्वार पिर उसन भमविष्य मिम प्ररोन्नमति सन विवंमचति रखिद्वा जद्वानद्वा उपियमुक/जनमहति मिम हरोगद्वा, (खि) क्यद्वा प्रशद्वासनद्वालधिकरणि ककी जद्वाजाँच /मविभद्वागबीय कद्वायरविद्वाहबी अमभयरोजन कन अनन्तिमि पिररणिद्वामि प्रद्वाप्त हरोनन मिम कद्वाफकी समिय लिगनगद्वा, (ग) प्रशद्वासनद्वालधिकरणि ककी जद्वाजाँच/मविभद्वागबीय कद्वायरविद्वाहबी/अमभयरोजन मिम हरो रहन मविलिम्ब कन ललिए प्रत्यक्ष यद्वा पिररोक्ष रूपि सन आररोमपिति कमिर्मी दरोरबी नहहीं हह। (घ) आररोमपिति कद्वाममिरक करो तिदथर प्ररोन्नमति मदयन जद्वानन पिर विह अपिनन पिद कद्वा दमुरूपियरोग अथविद्वा जद्वाजाँच करो कमु प्रभद्वामविति तिरो नहहीं करनगद्वा, (ङ) यमद सक्षमि प्रद्वालधिकद्वारबी उपिररोक खिण्ड (क), (खि), (ग), (घ) कन आधिद्वार पिर मविचद्वाररोपिरद्वान्ति आररोमपिति कद्वाममिरककों कन आधिद्वार पिर प्ररोन्नति करनद्वा उपियमुक समिझतिन हह तिरो उस दशद्वा मिम मविभद्वागबीय चयन सममिमति कन सद्वामिनन मिद्वामिलिन करो रखिद्वा जद्वायनगद्वा तिरो आररोमपिति कद्वाममिरक कन सम्पिपूणिर अमभलिनखिकों कन आधिद्वार पिर उसकन कद्वायर कद्वा मिपूल्यद्वावंकन करनगबी तिथद्वा तिदथर रूपि सन प्ररोन्नमति दननन अथविद्वा न दननन कन मविरय मिम अपिनबी सवंस्तिमुमति दनगबी।" 9. The appropriate compliance of this order in terms of paragraph-10 quoted hereinabove, shall take place within a maximum period of 30 days from the date of presentation of certified copy of this order. Order Date :- 3.4.2025 Shiraz Digitally signed by :- SHIRAZ ALI High Court of Judicature at Allahabad