The Supreme Court has intervened to temporarily block the reinstatement of Rinku Dhugga, a senior officer in the AGMUT cadre. Dhugga was placed on compulsory retirement following a controversy involving her and her husband, who were accused of clearing a running track at Thyagaraj Stadium in South Delhi to walk their dog. The court’s decision comes amid ongoing discussions surrounding her case and the implications of her retirement.
Supreme Court to Review Reinstatement of Retired Official
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) annulled her compulsory retirement on May 7, 2025. This decision was confirmed by the Delhi High Court on April 15, 2026. Following these rulings, the Union government has now appealed to the Supreme Court regarding her reinstatement.
Following the controversy, both officers were transferred out of Delhi and Dhugga joined as principal secretary in Arunachal Pradesh. The Centre, represented by additional solicitor general (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, informed the court that the high court had failed to consider the serious grounds on which the review committee had recommended Dhugga’s compulsory retirement. The high court, however, noted that except for these adverse remarks, her grading in the previous years was outstanding which made her eligible for promotion.
Issuing notice to the 1994-batch officer on the Centre’s plea, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, said: “In the meantime, the reinstatement of the respondent shall remain stayed. The order passed on September 7, made public now, allowed two weeks for the officer to respond and posted the matter for further hearing on October 13. On August 7, 2023, she was served with an order of compulsory retirement by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
Further the high court was of the view that compulsory retirement intended to weed out “deadwood” from the service, a description it found inapplicable to Dhugga.
