Himachal Pradesh High Court
Shri Subhash Chander Bhardwaj And … vs State Bank Of India And Others on 18 April, 2026
Author: Ajay Mohan Goel
Bench: Ajay Mohan Goel
2026:HHC:12200
IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH AT
SHIMLA
CWP No. 3760 of 2012 a/w
CWP No. 3761 of 2012
Decided on : 18.04.2026
.
1. CWP No. 3760 of 2012
Shri Subhash Chander Bhardwaj and others
...Petitioners
Versus
State Bank of India and others
...Respondents
of
2. CWP No. 3761 of 2012
Shri Manohar Lal and others
rt ...Petitioners
Versus
State Bank of India and others
...Respondents
Coram
Hon'ble Mr. Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, Judge
Whether approved for reporting?1
For the petitioners : Ms. Bhavna Dutta, Advocate, in
both petitions.
For the respondents : Ms. Devyani Sharma, Senior
Advocate, with Mr. Anirudh
Sharma, Advocate, for respondent
No.5, in both petitions.
Mr. Lokender Paul Thakur,
Advocate, for respondent No.6, in
both petitions.
1Whether reporters of the local papers may be allowed to see the judgment?
::: Downloaded on – 18/04/2026 20:29:15 :::CIS
2
2026:HHC:12200
Ajay Mohan Goel, Judge (Oral)
In both these petitions, the issue raised by the
petitioners is with regard to the alleged discrimination vis-a-vis
.
the ex-servicemen reengaged as armed guards in the
respondent-Bank pre 01.01.2006 and post 01.01.2006, as far
as fixation of their emoluments including pay are concerned.
2. Learned Senior Counsel for respondent No.5 has
of
handed over the order passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of
India in Transfer Petitions (Civil) Nos. 1904-1915 of 2015, titled
rt
State Bank of India Versus Sh. Inder Mohan Sharma & Ors.
Etc., which order reads as under:-
“Mr. Neeraj Kishan Kaul, learned Senior
Advocate invited our attention to the order dated
16.12.2015 passed by this Court and to the
Chart placed at P-3(Page 92 of the paper book).
He suggested that out of various High Courts in
which the writ petitions are pending, the High
Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh
could be a better choice and eminently suitable.
It appears from the chart that 12 petitions are
::: Downloaded on – 18/04/2026 20:29:15 :::CIS
3
2026:HHC:12200pending in High Court of Punjab & Haryana.
Considering the entirety of the matter, in
our view, it would be just and fair to retain those
.
petitions which were filed in the High Court of
Punjab and Haryana, in the said High Court and
transfer rest of the petitions (details of which are
mentioned at Annexure P-8 in the paper book
of
and also put by way of Annexure to this order)from the the respective High Courts to the High
rt
Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh.
The original papers shall be transmitted
from the respective High Courts to the High
Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh which
may be disposed of at an early date.
No separate orders are called for in the
intervention application. Intervention application
is disposed of.
The transfer petitions are, accordingly,
allowed.
Pending applications, if any, shall also
::: Downloaded on – 18/04/2026 20:29:15 :::CIS
4
2026:HHC:12200stand disposed of.”
3. Learned Senior Counsel further submitted that the
Transfer Petitions were filed because matters akin to the
.
present petitions were pending before various Hon’ble High
Courts and in this backdrop, the Transfer Petitions were filed
before the Hon’ble Supreme Court, in which Hon’ble Supreme
Court was pleased to order the transfer of the matters to the
of
Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana. Learned Senior
Counsel further apprised the Court that after the transfer of the
rt
matters to the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana, the
Hon’ble High Court has been pleased to dispose of the
petitions in terms of judgment dated 21.08.2023, passed in
CWP No. 5370 of 2014, titled Jasbir Singh Vs. Union of India &
Ors. along-with other connected matters. The Court has been
further informed that the judgment of the Hon’ble Single Judge
of the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana stands
assailed by way of a Letters Patent Appeal, which is pending
adjudication before the Hon’ble Division Bench of the Punjab
and Haryana High Court
4. Accordingly, a prayer has been made that these
::: Downloaded on – 18/04/2026 20:29:15 :::CIS
5
2026:HHC:12200
petitions can be disposed with the observation that the fate of
Letters Patent Appeal shall bind the parties herein also, as the
factual matrix and the moot issue involved in the present
.
petitions is also the same.
5. Learned counsel for the petitioners concurs with the
submissions made by learned Senior Counsel for the
respondent-Bank.
of
6. Accordingly, these petitions are disposed of with the
observation that the outcome of the Letters Patent Appeal
rt
pending adjudication before the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab
and Haryana arising out of the judgment passed in CWP No.
5370 of 2014, titled Jasbir Singh Vs. Union of India & Ors.
along-with other connected matters, shall be binding upon the
present parties also, subject to their further legal remedies.
Pending miscellaneous application(s), if any, also stand
disposed of accordingly.
(Ajay Mohan Goel)
Judge
April 18, 2026
(Shivank Thakur)
::: Downloaded on – 18/04/2026 20:29:15 :::CIS