Finding that a contempt case it had specifically directed to be heard at 2 PM had quietly vanished from the day’s cause list, the Supreme Court has called on its own Registry to explain the lapse and has ordered the CAPF officers’ plea against the Union Home Secretary to be listed again the very next day.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on September 29 directed that the contempt petitions filed by Central Armed Police Force officers over the deputation of IPS officers to the CAPFs be listed on September 30 at 2 PM, along with a note from the Registry explaining why the lead matter was struck off the cause list despite a judicial order fixing it for hearing [Mahendra Singh Deo and Others v. Govind Mohan and Others].
A Bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar passed the order when the matter was mentioned by Senior Advocate S. Gurukrishna Kumar for the petitioners.
What happened
On September 22, 2026, the Bench had been unable to take up the case for want of time. It directed that the matter be listed again on September 29 at 2 PM and permitted the respondents to file corrected affidavits in the meantime.
The case duly appeared as Item No. 32 on the cause list for September 29. When it was mentioned, however, the Court was informed that it had been struck off. Recording that the listing was pursuant to a judicial order, the Bench directed:
“Since it is a judicial order to get the case listed today at 02:00 PM, we direct listing of this case, along with the other connected matters, again tomorrow, i.e. on 30.09.2026, at 02:00 PM, with a note by the Registry, as to why the matter was struck off from the cause list despite there being a judicial order.”
Background of the case
The contempt petitions, filed by serving and retired CAPF officers against Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and others, allege non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s judgment of May 23, 2025 in Sanjay Prakash and Others v. Union of India. That judgment held the CAPFs to be organised Group A services, ordered a cadre review, and directed the Centre to progressively reduce the deputation of IPS officers to senior posts in the forces over two years. The Centre’s review petition against it was dismissed in October 2025.
At the hearing on September 2, 2026, after being told that 46 IPS officers had been deputed to five CAPFs since the May 2025 judgment, the same Bench sought a detailed explanation from the Union government. The Centre has since enacted the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Act, 2026, whose validity has been separately challenged before the Supreme Court by CAPF officers.
No finding has been recorded in the contempt proceedings so far. The Union was represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati.
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Case Title: Mahendra Singh Deo and Others v. Govind Mohan and Others
Case Number: Contempt Petition (C) No. 37 of 2026 in C.A. No. 13106 of 2024 and connected matters
Bench: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar, Supreme Court of India
Date of Order: September 29, 2026
Appearance: Senior Advocate S. Gurukrishna Kumar (mentioning) with AOR P.N. Puri for the petitioners; Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati for the respondents