Authorities Must Complete the Complaint Inquiry and Issue a Final Decision Within Fixed Timelines.

The applicant, a TGT (Social Science), complained to the Directorate of Education on 17 November 2025 about alleged workplace harassment, salary-related irregularities, safety lapses and memoranda issued by the Head of School.

The respondents stated that they referred the matter to the Deputy Director of Education (East), informed Vigilance, and constituted a three-member inquiry committee. The committee submitted a preliminary report on 30 March 2026; the Head of School was subsequently transferred.

The respondents did not state that a final inquiry report or decision on the complaint had been issued. The applicant sought completion of the inquiry and disclosure of the final report or action taken report.

1. Whether the respondents should be directed to complete the inquiry into the applicant’s complaint and make a final decision on it.

2. Whether the applicant was entitled to receive the competent authority’s decision on her complaint.

The application was brought under Section 19 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985.

The Tribunal considered the applicant’s reliance on Prem Nath Bali v. High Court of Delhi, concerning timely completion of departmental inquiries, but held it inapplicable because no departmental inquiry had been initiated against the applicant.

It likewise held Somesh Tiwari v. Union of India, concerning mala fide administrative action, inapplicable because no order or action against the applicant was under challenge.

The applicant also relied on State of Andhra Pradesh v. N. Radhakrishan, but the Tribunal did not separately apply or discuss that decision.

The Tribunal found that the respondents had taken steps after receiving the complaint, including constituting an inquiry committee and obtaining a preliminary report.

However, that report was not final, and the respondents had not shown that a final decision had been made or that the complaint did not warrant one.

The Tribunal therefore considered it appropriate to direct the respondents to complete the inquiry and have the competent authority decide the complaint, while rejecting the applicant’s reliance on the cited cases as inapplicable to the circumstances before it.

The competent authority was to take a final decision, preferably within four weeks of receiving the inquiry report, and supply that decision to the applicant within two weeks of making it.

The associated M.A. was also disposed of.