In Brief
The State of Uttarakhand appealed a High Court order that disposed of a writ petition without deciding its merits. The High Court had simply directed compliance with a Public Service Tribunal order directing the Department to ignore uncommunicated 'Uttam' entries in ACRs while considering the respondent's promotion to Chief Engineer Level-2. The Supreme Court held that a High Court must decide writ petitions on merit, independently examine the legality of challenged orders, and pass reasoned judgments addressing all grounds raised. Disposing without discussing substantive issues is unsustainable. The Court set aside the High Court's order and remanded for fresh consideration on merits.
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