2026:HHC:12200 IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH AT SHIMLA CWP No. 3760 of 2012 a/w CWP No. 3761 of 2012 Decided on : 18.04.2026 1. CWP No. 3760 of 2012 Shri Subhash Chander Bhardwaj and others …Petitioners Versus State Bank of India and others …Respondents 2. CWP No. 3761 of 2012 Shri Manohar Lal and others …Petitioners Versus State Bank of India and others …Respondents Coram Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, Judge Whether approved for reporting?1 For the petitioners : Ms. Bhavna Dutta, Advocate, in both petitions. For the respondents : Ms. Devyani Sharma, Senior Advocate, with Mr. Anirudh Sharma, Advocate, for respondent No.5, in both petitions. Mr. Lokender Paul Thakur, Advocate, for respondent No.6, in both petitions. 1Whether reporters of the local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2 2026:HHC:12200 Ajay Mohan Goel, Judge (Oral) In both these petitions, the issue raised by the petitioners is with regard to the alleged discrimination vis-a-vis the ex-servicemen reengaged as armed guards in the respondent-Bank pre 01.01.2006 and post 01.01.2006, as far as fixation of their emoluments including pay are concerned. 2. Learned Senior Counsel for respondent No.5 has handed over the order passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Transfer Petitions (Civil) Nos. 1904-1915 of 2015, titled State Bank of India Versus Sh. Inder Mohan Sharma & Ors. Etc., which order reads as under:- “Mr. Neeraj Kishan Kaul, learned Senior Advocate invited our attention to the order dated 16.12.2015 passed by this Court and to the Chart placed at P-3(Page 92 of the paper book). He suggested that out of various High Courts in which the writ petitions are pending, the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh could be a better choice and eminently suitable. It appears from the chart that 12 petitions are 3 2026:HHC:12200 pending in High Court of Punjab & Haryana. Considering the entirety of the matter, in our view, it would be just and fair to retain those petitions which were filed in the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, in the said High Court and transfer rest of the petitions (details of which are mentioned at Annexure P-8 in the paper book and also put by way of Annexure to this order) from the the respective High Courts to the High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh. The original papers shall be transmitted from the respective High Courts to the High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh which may be disposed of at an early date. No separate orders are called for in the intervention application. Intervention application is disposed of. The transfer petitions are, accordingly, allowed. Pending applications, if any, shall also 4 2026:HHC:12200 stand disposed of.” 3. Learned Senior Counsel further submitted that the Transfer Petitions were filed because matters akin to the present petitions were pending before various Hon’ble High Courts and in this backdrop, the Transfer Petitions were filed before the Hon’ble Supreme Court, in which Hon’ble Supreme Court was pleased to order the transfer of the matters to the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana. Learned Senior Counsel further apprised the Court that after the transfer of the matters to the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana, the Hon’ble High Court has been pleased to dispose of the petitions in terms of judgment dated 21.08.2023, passed in CWP No. 5370 of 2014, titled Jasbir Singh Vs. Union of India & Ors. along-with other connected matters. The Court has been further informed that the judgment of the Hon’ble Single Judge of the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana stands assailed by way of a Letters Patent Appeal, which is pending adjudication before the Hon’ble Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court 4. Accordingly, a prayer has been made that these 5 2026:HHC:12200 petitions can be disposed with the observation that the fate of Letters Patent Appeal shall bind the parties herein also, as the factual matrix and the moot issue involved in the present petitions is also the same. 5. Learned counsel for the petitioners concurs with the submissions made by learned Senior Counsel for the respondent-Bank. 6. Accordingly, these petitions are disposed of with the observation that the outcome of the Letters Patent Appeal pending adjudication before the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana arising out of the judgment passed in CWP No. 5370 of 2014, titled Jasbir Singh Vs. Union of India & Ors. along-with other connected matters, shall be binding upon the present parties also, subject to their further legal remedies. Pending miscellaneous application(s), if any, also stand disposed of accordingly. (Ajay Mohan Goel) Judge April 18, 2026 (Shivank Thakur)