Som Prakash Rekhi vs Union Of India & Anr on 13 November, 1980
The only direction that thus can be issued by this Tribunal is to constitute a review DPC for considering the case of the applicant for promotion and if he is found fit and even recommended for promotion, not to do so, as the applicant is once again under suspension. This would be an exercise in futility as it would not give any advantage to the applicant, and, therefore, there is no need to issue even this direction. We may mention that there were absolutely no arguments raised whatsoever on behalf of the applicant to show that despite his being under unchallenged suspension, on opening of the sealed cover, and if so recommended by the DPC, he shall have to be promoted. This Tribunal had an occasion to deal with instructions of 1988 and 1992 in OA No.1185/2007 in the matter of Om Prakash v Union of India, decided on 3.6.2008, wherein we held that Para 7 of the instructions, be it the instructions of 1988 or 1992, would be applicable only with regard to circumstances enumerated in para 2, and no others. We are of the firm view that sealed cover procedure can be adopted only in circumstances enumerated in para 2 of instructions of 1992, and even if the circumstances as mentioned therein may surface after the DPC might have cleared a government servant for promotion, he may yet not be promoted, as in that event it has to be considered to be a case of deemed sealed cover procedure. It is a different matter that in the case aforesaid the circumstances in which the case of the applicant therein could be kept in sealed cover were not in existence, whereas in the present case, as mentioned above, the applicant is under suspension and circumstances under which his case could be kept in sealed cover are in existence even as on date.