In Brief
P. Sivanandi, directly recruited as Deputy Superintendent of Police in 1985, was promoted to the Indian Police Service following a Review Selection Committee meeting in 1999 that considered his previously missing ACR for 1992-93 and an ACR written after the prescribed period. The Tribunal and High Court invalidated his selection, finding the late ACR improper. The Supreme Court held that ACRs form part of service records and cannot be ignored due to delays beyond an officer's control. The Court ruled that time limits for ACR writing are directory, not mandatory, and the complete service record must be considered for promotion. The Court set aside the High Court's decision and upheld the Review Committee's promotion of Sivanandi.
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