Page 1 Item Nos. 6 IN THE HIGH COURT OF MANIPUR AT IMPHAL WP(C) No. 912 of 2025 Khongbantabam Devkumar Singh …Petitioner/s Vrs. State of Manipur …Respondent/s -B E F O R E- HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AHANTHEM BIMOL SINGH 24.11.2025 Heard Mr. N. Jotendro, learned Sr. counsel assisted by Md. Syed Murtaza Ahmed, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner; and Mr. Shyam Sharma, learned GA appearing for the respondent. In the view of the limited prayer made by the petitioner, and as agreed to by both the counsel appearing for the parties, the present writ petition has been disposed of at the motion stage. It is the case of the petitioner that while petitioner was serving as Inspector in the Manipur Police Department a departmental enquiry was initiated against him. After conclusion of LUCY GURUM AYUM Digitally signed by LUCY GURUMAYUM Date: 2025.11.24 16:01:33 +05'30' Page 2 the departmental enquiry and on the basis of the report submitted by the Enquiry Officer, the Director General of Police, Manipur, who is the disciplinary authority, issued an order dated 16.10.2024 imposing upon the petitioner a major punishment of “withholding of increment of pay with cumulative effect for one year w.e.f next DNI”. Having been aggrieved the petitioner filed a statutory appeal under Rule 68 of the Assam Police Manual to the appellate authority i.e. Commissioner (Home), Government of Manipur on 24.12.2024 and that the said appeal is still pending for consideration and disposal by the authority. Mr. N. Jotendro, learned Sr. counsel submitted that the petitioner will be satisfied if the writ petition be disposed of by issuing a direction to the Commissioner (Home), Government of Manipur to consider the statutory appeal dated 24.12.2024 filed by the petitioner on its own merit and strictly in terms of the applicable rules and to disposed of the same by issuing a speaking order within a stipulated period. Page 3 Mr. Shyam Sharma, learned GA fairly submitted that as the authorities are duty bound to consider and disposed of the statutory appeal filed by the petitioner, he has no objection in disposing of the present writ petition as prayed for by the learned Sr. counsel appearing for the petitioner. Considering the submission made by the learned counsel appearing for the parties, this Court is of the considered view that it will be in the interest of justice to issue the following directions; (i) The Commissioner (Home), Government of Manipur is hereby directed to consider the statutory appeal dated 24.12.2024 filed by the petitioner on its own merit and strictly in terms of the applicable rules and to disposed of the same by issuing a speaking order. (ii) It is made clear that the whole process should be completed within the period of two months Page 4 from the date of receipt of certified copies of this order. (iii) The Commissioner (Home), Government of Manipur is further directed to communicate to the petitioner a copy of the order pass by him in connection with the said statutory appeal. With the aforesaid direction, the present writ petition is disposed of. JUDGE Lucy