SC Denies Reinstatement to Ex-SSCOs Over Delay

Case Details: Neeraj Kumar vs. Union of India - [2026] 184 taxmann.com 605 (SC)

Judiciary and Counsel Details

• Surya Kant, CJI, Ujjal Bhuyan & Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, JJ.

Facts of the Case

In the instant case, the appellants, two former male Short Service Commission Officers of the Indian Air Force, were inducted on Short Service Commission in 1998.

They were considered for Permanent Commission in their fifth year of service in 2002; however, their request was declined, and they were granted a six-year extension.

Thereafter, they became due for consideration for Permanent Commission in their eleventh year of service in 2009. However, such consideration did not take place in view of Human Resource Policy 21/2006, which discontinued the grant of Permanent Commission from 2006 onwards.

At that stage, instead of seeking a further four-year extension available to them, the appellants requested release from service. Their request was accepted, and they were released in 2009. Subsequently, they secured gainful private employment.

Following the decision in Babita Puniya, the appellants filed an application before the Armed Forces Tribunal challenging their release and non-consideration for grant of Permanent Commission. The Armed Forces Tribunal, Principal Bench, dismissed the said application.

Supreme Court Held

The Supreme Court held that since the appellants had sought release from service and had approached the forum belatedly, they were not entitled to reinstatement or consideration for grant of Permanent Commission with consequential benefits on the basis of parity with the decisions in Lalit Kumar Tandon and AU Tayyaba.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court held that the appeal was liable to be dismissed.

List of Cases Reviewed

• Order of Armed Forces Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi OA No. 379/2011, decided on 15.05.2024 (para 9) affirmed

List of Cases Referred to

• AU Tayyaba v. Union of India (2023) 5 SCC 688 (para 2)
• Lalit Kumar Tandon v. Union of India 2011 SCC OnLine AFT 191 (para 2)
• Babita Puniya v. Secretary 2010 SCC OnLine Del 1116 (para 4).