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Union of India & Ors vs. Jatin

Writ Petition (Civil) · 2026:DHC:8074-DBDecided 16 Sept 2026New Delhi Bench
W.P.(C) 7108/2026CNR: DLHC010231492026
Justice C. Hari Shankar · Justice Vinod Kumar

Background

Jatin appeared for the Staff Selection Commission's Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2024. Based solely on a review of CCTV footage, the SSC alleged he was seen peeping at a neighbouring candidate's screen and interacting with him, and issued a show cause notice accusing him of using "unfair means." Jatin denied the allegation and pointed out he was never shown the CCTV footage itself. With no formal inquiry held, the SSC cancelled his candidature and debarred him from its exams for seven years. The Central Administrative Tribunal set this aside, and the Union of India (through the SSC) appealed to the High Court.

Decision Breakdown

The Court held that since the entire case against Jatin rested solely on the CCTV footage, denying him any access to or sight of that footage before cancelling his candidature caused him clear, "manifest prejudice": this was not a mere technical lapse but went to the heart of his ability to defend himself. Distinguishing a Supreme Court ruling that not every missing document invalidates a disciplinary proceeding (only ones that cause real prejudice), the Court found this was exactly the kind of case where genuine prejudice existed, since there was no other evidence at all. It upheld the Tribunal's decision and dismissed the SSC's petition, remarking that conducting a proper inquiry or simply sharing the footage could have avoided the litigation entirely.

Lesson Learnt

If the only evidence against a person is a piece of recorded evidence (like CCTV footage), fairness requires that the person actually be shown that evidence before being penalised on its basis, withholding the sole piece of proof from the accused person is a serious, not merely technical, violation of natural justice.

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