The UPA Government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, challenging the November 8 Delhi High Court ruling, quashing the 2003 Special Promotion Board.The HC ruling was on a case filed by two Air Vice Marshals T.S. Chhatwal and Harish Masand who had been denied promotions to the Air Marshal rank in 2003. The promotions of four Air Marshals — A.D. Joshi, J.S. Gujral, F.H. Major and A.K. Singh — were also quashed by the ruling.The HC judged that a fresh SPB should be set up to re-assess the comparative merit of Masand, Chhatwal and other candidates under the 2004 promotion policy. The SLP filed by the Defence Ministry challenged the HC ruling, saying it did not only look into the merit and seniority but also into the personal records of senior officers in question. The SLP also said there was no arbitrariness on the part of the government in not promoting Chhatwal and Masand to the rank of Air Marshals. Chhatwal has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court in a bid to prevent the Government from obtaining an ex-parte order in the matter.
