1 CGHC010379322026 2026:CGHC:42409 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPS No. 7134 of 2026 Kamlesh Bhardwaj S/o Panchram Bhardwaj Aged About 33 Years Occupation - Jail Warden, R/o Naya Pahanda, Bhaisma, District Korba Chhattisgarh ... Petitioner versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Its Secretary, Department Of Home/ Prisons, Mantralaya, Mahanadi Bhawan, Atal Nagar, Nava Raipur Chhattisgarh 492002 2 - The Director General, Jail & Correctional Services, Chhattisgarh, Sector-19, Nava Raipur, Atal Nagar, Raipur Chhattisgarh 3 - The Jail Superintendent, Central Jail Durg, District Durg Chhattisgarh ... Respondent(s) (Cause title is taken from Case Information System) For Petitioner : Ms. Swarnim S. Kochar, Advocate For Respondents/ State : Ms. Apurva Nigam, Panel Lawyer Hon’ble Shri Bibhu Datta Guru, Judge Order on Board SOURABH BHILWAR Digitally signed by SOURABH BHILWAR Date: 2026.09.30 10:38:22 +0530 2 29/09/2026 1. By the present writ petition, the petitioner seeks a direction towards the respondent authorities to consider and decide his statutory departmental appeal dated 09.07.2026 (Annexure P/2), preferred by the petitioner against the order of punishment dated 25.05.2026, which is stated to be pending consideration before respondent No.2. 2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner, who is serving as a Jail Warden (Prison Guard), was subjected to departmental proceedings pursuant to charge-sheet dated 09.07.2025 issued under Rule 14 of the Chhattisgarh Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1966. She submits that the departmental enquiry was conducted and the Inquiry Officer submitted his report dated 27.02.2026, pursuant to which the competent Disciplinary Authority passed an order of punishment against the petitioner. Being aggrieved by the same, the petitioner preferred a statutory departmental appeal before the competent Appellate Authority, which is still pending consideration. She, therefore, prays for a direction to the competent Appellate Authority/ respondent No.2 to consider and decide his pending departmental appeal expeditiously, in accordance with law by passing a reasoned and speaking order within a stipulated period. 3. Learned State counsel, on instructions, submits that if the departmental appeal (Annexure P-2) is still pending consideration, 3 the same shall be considered and decided, in accordance with law, within the stipulated period. 4. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the material available on record. 5. Considering the limited prayer made by learned counsel for the petitioner and taking into account the submission made by learned State counsel, this writ petition is disposed of with a direction to respondent No.2 to consider and decide the statutory departmental appeal dated 09.07.2026 (Annexure P-2) filed by the petitioner, strictly in accordance with law, preferably within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. 6. With the aforesaid direction, the writ petition stands disposed of. Sd/- (Bibhu Datta Guru) JUDGE $. Bhilwar