The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court upheld the Government's general directions against illegal MGNREGA engagements but required an in-house inquiry permitting representations and documents, or individual show-cause notices, where the alleged illegality was disputed.
Judge / Bench — Justice Sanjay Dhar
Fair recruitment was constitutionally necessary even before the 2010 guidelines. Protection against replacement by another contractual appointee cannot preserve a backdoor appointment. Those found fairly engaged must continue, receive legitimately earned salaries and obtain protection against fresh advertisements for their posts; those found illegally engaged may be disengaged without recovery of wages already paid under court orders. No regular departmental inquiry or automatic regularisation was granted. Two outsourced workers' petitions were dismissed for lack of contractual privity; associated contempt proceedings were closed.
Case — Sheraz Anjum and others v. State of J&K and others · SWP No. 741/2013 and connected matters · 22 October 2026 · Jammu wing
Advocates appearing — Petitioners / connected matters — Mr. Abhirash Sharma, Advocate (SWP 741/2013); Mr. R. K. S. Thakur, Advocate (SWP 708/2010); Mr. K. L. Pandita, Advocate (SWP 732/2013, 1260/2013, 1781/2013, 373/2018, 1669/2018, 1687/2018, 1751/2018, 1839/2018, 1880/2018, 2209/2018 and 1836/2018); Mr. Mohsin Bhat, Advocate (SWP 1068/2013, 330/2014; CCP(S) 218/2021, 219/2021 and 220/2021); Mr. Achal Sharma, Advocate (SWP 2549/2013, 1652/2018, 1745/2018, 1788/2018 and 1849/2018); Mr. Karman Singh Johal, Advocate (SWP 392/2018, 805/2018 and 879/2018); Mr. Vivek Sharma, Advocate (SWP 398/2018, 2560/2018; WP(C) 2946/2023); Mr. Mazher Ali Khan, Advocate (SWP 1731/2018); Mr. N. D. Qazi, Advocate, with Mr. Amir Ajaz, Advocate (SWP 1645/2018, 1719/2018, 1749/2018, 1770/2018, 1945/2018, 2112/2018; CCP(S) 627/2019; WP(C) 2922/2023); Mr. Anil Kumar Verma, Advocate (SWP 1669/2018); Mr. Rahul Raina, Advocate, vice Mr. S. S. Ahmed, Advocate (SWP 1920/2018); Mr. Sunil Sethi, Sr. Advocate, with Mr. Nahiem Sheikh, Advocate (SWP 1669/2018); Mr. Sheikh Anwar, Advocate, vice Mr. F. S. Butt, Advocate; Mr. Sheraz Anjum, Advocate, vice Mr. Mazher Ali Khan, Advocate; Mr. Mohd. Israr, Advocate; Mr. A. K. Sharma, Advocate; Mr. Gagan Kohli, Advocate; Mr. Imran Ahmed Rather, Advocate; Mr. Amullaya Gupta, Advocate, vice Mr. Ashish Sharma, Advocate. Respondents — Mr. Raman Sharma, Sr. Advocate, with Ms. Saliqa Sheikh, Advocate, and Mr. Kartikay Sharma, Advocate; Ms. Rozina Afzal, Advocate. Case associations are retained as recorded, including repeated appearances for SWP 1669/2018.