The Supreme Court has declined to intervene in the Delhi High Court’s decision supporting the promotion of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Dnyandev Wankhede. Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe dismissed the Union of India’s special leave petition, stating they were not inclined to interfere with the judgment under Article 136 of the Constitution of India. The dismissal of the Special Leave Petitions will not impact any other proceedings.
The Special Leave Petitions stemmed from the Delhi High Court’s August 28, 2025, ruling, which upheld the Central Administrative Tribunal’s order to reveal Wankhede’s promotion details and promote him to Additional Commissioner from January 2021 if recommended by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Additionally, on October 17, 2025, the Delhi High Court imposed a Rs 20,000 cost on the Centre while rejecting its review petition.
Justices Navin Chawla and Madhu Jain criticized the Union government for not disclosing all facts truthfully before filing the review petition, noting the failure to reveal a CAT order from August 2025 staying departmental proceedings against Wankhede. The CAT had directed the government in December 2024 to open the sealed cover and promote Wankhede to Additional Commissioner if recommended by the UPSC from January 2021.
With the dismissal of the Special Leave Petitions, the Supreme Court has upheld the legality of the orders by the CAT and Delhi High Court, rejecting the Union government’s challenges at all judicial levels. Wankhede gained public attention for his involvement in the 2021 Cordelia Cruise drug case, linked to actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, and faced allegations of misconduct and a forged caste certificate.
