The Punjab and Haryana High Court has come to the aid of a Haryana teacher suspended for failing to attend Special Intensive Revision (SIR) election training after seeking relief from booth-level officer (BLO) duties following his wife’s death.
In a strongly worded order, Justice Harpreet Singh Brar quashed the suspension of Sunil Kumar and the proposal to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him. The Court also imposed costs of ₹50,000 on the District Elementary Education Officer, Hisar, and the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the Barwala Assembly constituency.
The Court found serious inconsistencies in the authorities’ handling of Kumar’s request to be relieved of election duties, particularly when three other teachers had subsequently been appointed to replace him.
“A teacher who had lost his wife and was left to care for his aged mother and children sought release from additional election duty through the proper channel,” the Court observed, criticising officials for holding Kumar responsible for failures involving his replacements.
Suspension despite request for relief
Kumar had served as a BLO for 11 years without any adverse remarks. However, his circumstances changed dramatically after his wife died in September 2025, leaving him responsible for caring for his 83-year-old mother and children.
He subsequently requested that he be relieved of his additional election responsibilities. His application received favourable recommendations from the head of his institution and the Block Education Officer, Barwala.
Three teachers were later appointed in his place for the same polling booth. Yet, according to Kumar, no formal order rejecting his request or directing him to continue as BLO was ever communicated to him.
Despite this, the District Elementary Education Officer suspended him on July 7, acting on a recommendation from the constituency’s electoral registration officer. The allegations included improper performance of BLO duties and absence from SIR training.
Kumar challenged both the suspension and the proposed disciplinary proceedings, arguing that he had been penalised despite having sought relief through the prescribed channel.
Officials blamed him for substitutes’ failures
The High Court found that the failure of the replacement teachers to report for duty or provide the required mobile and EPIC numbers for updating the official portal could not be attributed to Kumar.
The Court pointed out that the election machinery had appointed substitutes but failed to ensure that they actually joined and that the necessary records were updated.
It also questioned the allegation that Kumar had skipped SIR training, noting that the authorities themselves could not consistently establish the relevant training date.
The Court further observed that none of the three substitute BLOs had attended the training conducted on February 8, 2026, yet there was no material showing that action had been taken against any of them.
Such unequal treatment, coupled with the authorities’ inability to clearly establish the training details, demonstrated a failure to apply their minds to the matter, the Court said.
It concluded that Kumar had been caught in a dispute arising largely from poor coordination within the election administration. While replacement appointments had been made, officials had neither ensured the substitutes’ joining nor formally informed Kumar whether he had been relieved of his responsibilities.
Salary arrears must be cleared within four weeks
The Court also took note of the financial consequences of the suspension, observing that Kumar had remained without salary since June 2.
It directed the authorities to clear all his outstanding dues within four weeks and ordered that his personal circumstances be considered before assigning him any BLO duties in the future.
In addition, the Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana, was directed to ensure that whenever a BLO is replaced, a written order clearly stating whether the outgoing officer has been relieved is communicated to that person.
The Court also instructed the concerned electoral registration officers to ensure that replacement BLOs formally join and complete the required portal mapping within a reasonable period.
The ruling in Sunil Kumar v. State of Haryana and Others underscores the need for election authorities to maintain clear records and communicate duty changes properly, rather than penalising an employee for administrative failures beyond his control.