पंजाब राज्य बनाम जोगिंदर सिंह
| Citation | AIR 1963 SC 913 |
| Court | Supreme Court of India |
| Date | 4 January 1963 |
| Year | 1963 |
| Bench | K. Subba Rao, K.N. Wanchoo, M. Hidayatullah JJ. |
| Acts/Articles | Article 14, Article 16, Article 311 |
| Category | Service & Employment Law |
Key Principle Established
Transfer is an incident of service. No government employee has a vested right to remain posted at a particular place. Transfer orders can only be challenged on grounds of mala fides.
A government employee challenged his transfer order on grounds that it was arbitrary and amounted to punishment.
The Supreme Court held that transfer is an incident of service and no government servant has a legal right to be posted at any particular place. Transfer orders are administrative in nature and courts should not ordinarily interfere unless:
This is the foundational judgment on transfer law. It is cited in virtually every transfer dispute, including challenges by police constables, teachers, and other government employees against transfer orders. The principles have been refined but never overruled.
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Read AnalysisThis judgment summary is for educational and research purposes. While care has been taken to accurately represent the ratio and findings, for authoritative reference always consult the original judgment text from official sources (SCC Online, AIR, Manupatra, or court websites).
22+ years of practice before Punjab & Haryana High Court and Supreme Court of India.