The High Court of Delhi has set aside a penalty order imposed on an Assistant Section Officer, ruling that the denial of Child Care Leave (CCL) by the department was “mechanical” and the subsequent disciplinary proceedings for unauthorized absence suffered from “procedural irregularities and substantive infirmities.”

The Division Bench comprising Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Madhu Jain allowed the writ petition filed by Ritu Ravi Prakash, directing the restoration of her pay and consequential service benefits within eight weeks. The Court observed that the punishment imposed “shocks the conscience” as the allegations stemmed entirely from the petitioner’s efforts to avail leave for her minor daughters.

Brief Summary

The legal issue before the Court was whether the disciplinary p

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