The Orissa High Court on Friday set aside the premature retirement of senior judicial officer Sanjaya Kumar Sahoo, declaring the March 2022 order by the state government procedurally flawed and violative of natural justice.
Sahoo, who joined the judicial service in 1997 and was serving as the presiding officer of the Family Court in Nabarangpur, was compulsorily retired at the age of 55—five years before the standard superannuation age of 60. A division bench comprising Justices Dixit Krishna Shripad and Mruganka Sekhar Sahoo directed that the matter be reviewed afresh by the competent authority, ensuring Sahoo is given the opportunity to be heard.
The state cited a 2007 disciplinary proceeding, a complaint from a night watchman alleging caste-based slurs, and a boycott by the local bar association as grounds for retirement. However, the court noted that these issues had either been resolved without punitive action or lacked substantive merit. It highlighted that Sahoo continued to receive promotions — including selection-grade District Judge status in 2021 — which contradicted claims of underperformance.
“A judicial officer who clears scrutiny at 50 and earns successive promotions cannot be declared unfit at 55 without fresh and credible evidence,” the bench observed.
The court described the state’s action as having “stigmatic overtones” and punitive intent, bypassing due process. It found that the officer had not been given a chance to present his case, violating principles of natural justice.
The court has now quashed the original retirement notification and directed the jurisdictional review committee to reconsider the decision, this time with full opportunity for Sahoo to respond.
