Uttarakhand High Court Orders Disclosure of Documents on Officer's Empanelment

The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the Central Government to provide Uttarakhand cadre IFS Officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi with documents related to his empanelment process. This landmark order pertains only to the records of the decision-making process at the Joint Secretary level on November 15, 2022.

In a landmark decision, the Uttarakhand High Court has directed the Central Government to release documents pertaining to the empanelment of Uttarakhand cadre IFS Officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi. The court specifically ordered the disclosure of records concerning the decision-making process at the Joint Secretary level, dated November 15, 2022.

The order was passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Alok Kumar Verma on September 3rd. The bench clarified that only records relevant to Chaturvedi's empanelment would be provided. This ruling stems from a writ petition filed by Chaturvedi, where he was representing himself.

This unprecedented order marks the first instance where a court has mandated the supply of empanelment documents to an aggrieved officer. Chaturvedi's petition highlighted his achievements and claimed ongoing persecution for his honest work. His pursuit of the records began in the Central Administrative Tribunal and culminated in this High Court directive.

(With inputs from agencies.)