Supreme Court Decision
The Supreme Court upheld the grant of accelerated promotion to a Telangana Police Head Constable who had earlier been denied the benefit by the State government, despite performing duties similar to another constable who received promotion for resisting a Naxalite attack.
A Bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N.V. Anjaria dismissed the appeal filed by the State of Telangana against the judgment of the High Court’s Division Bench, which had affirmed the Single Bench’s direction to extend the benefit to the respondent-constable.
Background of the Case
The Court emphasised that the policy of granting accelerated promotion aims to boost the morale of police personnel, particularly those engaged in countering extremism and Naxalite activities.
It observed that the High Court correctly applied the objective underlying the relevant Government Order (GO) by directing that the respondent receive the same benefit.
High Court Ruling
The dispute arose from an incident on the night of January 30, 1999, when Naxalites attacked a police station. The respondent, a Head Constable, actively participated in resisting the attack along with other personnel.
Despite his involvement, the authorities denied him accelerated promotion, while granting the same benefit to other similarly placed personnel.
Court’s Key Observations
Aggrieved by the Government Order that excluded him, the respondent approached the High Court by filing a writ petition. The Single Bench allowed his claim and directed the State to grant him accelerated promotion.
The Division Bench upheld this direction, following which the State of Telangana challenged the decision before the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court affirmed the High Court’s ruling and recognised the respondent’s significant contribution during the attack. It noted that he had fired more rounds than others and played a crucial role in repelling the Naxalites.
In these circumstances, the Court held that the State’s decision to deny him accelerated promotion lacked justification and undermined the very purpose of the policy.
Appeal Dismissed
Accordingly, the Court dismissed the State’s appeal and upheld the grant of accelerated promotion to the respondent.
Case Title: The State of Telangana & Ors. v. P. Srinivas
Citation: 2026 INSC 263
