SC upholds Delhi HC order on IRS Sameer Wankhede’s promotion

New Delhi, Jan 20 (LatestNewsX) The Supreme Court has refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court’s decision upholding the promotion of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and former NCB officer Sameer Dnyandev Wankhede.

A Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe dismissed the special leave petition (SLP) filed by the Union of India, observing that it was “not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment and order in exercise of its jurisdiction under Article 136 of the Constitution of India”.

“The Special Leave Petitions are, accordingly, dismissed,” the Justice Narasimha-led Bench said, adding that the dismissal would have no bearing on any other proceedings.

The SLP arose from the August 28, 2025, judgment of the Delhi High Court, which had upheld the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) directing the Union government to open the sealed cover containing Wankhede’s promotion details and grant him promotion to the post of Additional Commissioner with effect from January 2021, if recommended by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Subsequently, on October 17, 2025, the Delhi High Court had also imposed a cost of Rs 20,000 on the Centre while dismissing its review petition.

A Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Madhu Jain had deprecated the conduct of the Union government and said that it was expected to disclose all facts truthfully before filing the review petition.

The Delhi High Court had noted that the Centre failed to disclose an order passed by the CAT in August 2025 staying the departmental proceedings initiated against Wankhede, even though the said order pre-dated the filing of the review petition.

The CAT, in December 2024, had directed the government to open the sealed cover and had ruled that if the UPSC recommended Wankhede’s name, he should be promoted to the post of Additional Commissioner from January 2021.

With the dismissal of the SLP, the Supreme Court has conclusively upheld the legality and correctness of the orders passed by the CAT and the Delhi High Court, rejecting the Union government’s challenge at all judicial levels.

Wankhede had come into public attention for his role in the 2021 Cordelia Cruise drug case, which allegedly involved actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan. He was later accused of misconduct and faced allegations relating to a forged caste certificate.

pds/dan