Delhi Police Constable Aspirant Disqualified Over 170-Cm Height Requirement Gets Fresh Measurement Ordered By CAT

In brief

The question

1. Whether the applicant’s height should be measured afresh where the official measurements were below the 170 cm minimum but a hospital certificate recorded a greater height.

The court held

The Tribunal disposed of the application by directing the respondents to arrange a fresh height measurement at an appropriate institution, in accordance with the applicable rules, instructions, and methodology. Within one week after that measurement, the respondents were to decide whether the applicant could participate in the PE&MT.

It also directed

If he met the height criterion, participated, and passed the PE&MT, he would be entitled to appointment subject to all other eligibility conditions. The directions were to be complied with within three weeks of receipt of the order. No costs were awarded, and pending miscellaneous applications were also disposed of.

01Facts

The applicant, a candidate for Constable (Executive) Male in the Delhi Police Examination, 2025, was declared unfit because his height was recorded as 169.70 cm, below the prescribed minimum of 170 cm. On appeal, his height was recorded as 169.80 cm. He relied on a certificate from Civil Hospital, Bhiwani, recording his height as 170.40 cm, and sought to set aside the disqualification and obtain appointment with consequential benefits.

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He also relied on the Tribunal’s order in Dheeraj Kumar v. Union of India & Others, O.A. No. 3999/2026, dated 13 October 2026, in which similar relief had been granted.

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02Issues

i.1. Whether the applicant’s height should be measured afresh where the official measurements were below the 170 cm minimum but a hospital certificate recorded a greater height.

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ii.2. Whether the applicant was entitled to participate in the PE&MT and, if successful, to appointment subject to the remaining eligibility conditions.

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03Law Applied

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

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The Tribunal directed that the fresh measurement be conducted in accordance with the applicable rules and instructions and using the same methodology adopted for other candidates for the post; it did not specify a particular statutory provision or substantive precedent governing height measurement. It referred to its earlier order in Dheeraj Kumar v. Union of India & Others as having granted similar relief.

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Provisions in the judgment · 1 · Linked ones open on LawLens

Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 Section 19

04Reasoning

The Tribunal did not determine which of the conflicting height measurements was correct or hold that the applicant had already met the height standard. Instead, given the two official measurements below the threshold and the applicant’s contrary hospital certificate, it considered that the interests of justice required a fresh measurement under the same rules and methodology applied to other candidates.

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The applicant’s further participation and any appointment were therefore made conditional on the fresh measurement, success in the PE&MT, and fulfilment of all other eligibility requirements.

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