The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the operation of a punishment order issued by Ch Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) against Assistant Scientist Dr Dalvinder Pal Singh, who had challenged disciplinary proceedings initiated over an email, seeking updates regarding refresher training courses linked to career advancement.
Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya, in his order on May 6, stayed the order and served a notice of motion to the HAU. The court has fixed the next hearing on July 10.
The Assistant Scientist had approached the HC after the university withheld his two increments as a disciplinary action as it deemed the email sent by him to the university authorities as “misconduct”.
“Can you please send updates about the refresher courses dates? Please also update the reasons for training not being conducted yet? I have not done any training so far and outside trainings (NIHM, Hyderabad) are being refused/declined by the higher authorities. So kindly provide details of why training at CCSHAU is being delayed to this extent Sir/Madam. Waiting for your reply,” he wrote in the email.
The email, sent on June 14, 2024. The university authorities, on February 5, 2026, stated that Dr Dalvinder Pal Singh, Assistant Scientist (Plant Pathology), Forage Section, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, was served a show-cause notice over the “misconduct” for violating provisions of the university statutes. As per the university order, the allegations stemmed from an email sent by the scientist concerning delays and updates related to training programmes. The order mentions that the Director, Human Resources Management (DHRM), alleged that the scientist “blamed higher authorities for refusing outside training and questioned the delay in HAU training, deeming the language inappropriate”. The university further alleged that the email “was sent to DHRM and Academy of Agricultural Research and Education Management (AAREM) along with participants directly violating instructions” and accused him of “making direct correspondence with the authorities and blamed them”.
In his petition, he said he was chargesheeted on baseless grounds. The HC order said “the only charge against him is of sending an email… seeking updates about the refresher courses to be conducted by the University which he was required to attend to be entitled to the next grade of pay under the Career Advancement Scheme.”
