Jammu and Kashmir High Court restores senior employee's retirement

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has restored the premature retirement of Ghulam Mohammad Lone, a senior employee in the School Education Department. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Sanjeev Kumar ruled that compulsory retirement in the public interest is an administrative measure.

The court held that judicial review should not substitute the assessment of a competent authority unless the decision is proven to be arbitrary, mala fide, or unsupported by material. This ruling sets aside a previous single-judge order that had quashed Lone’s retirement.

Lone had served for approximately 38 years before a screening committee recommended his retirement based on his service record and involvement in a vigilance case regarding allegations of bribery. The court noted that the scope of judicial review in such administrative matters is limited.