Impermissibility of punitive compulsory retirement under Rule 56(j)

The power of compulsory retirement conferred under provisions such as Fundamental Rule 56(j) is intended strictly to weed out inefficient, unserviceable, or corrupt officers in the public interest, and it cannot be weaponized as a shortcut for punitive action. Resorting to compulsory retirement on the eve of a public servant's superannuation to short-circuit pending disciplinary proceedings or circumvent judicial orders favoring the employee constitutes a clear abuse of power. Where an officer has consistently maintained outstanding performance appraisals and unblemished service records up to the moment of action, a sudden order of forced retirement fails the test of public interest. Courts will look past the formal wording of such orders to determine their true punitive nature, striking down actions taken to remove an employee arbitrarily under the facade of administrative discretion. (Captain Pramod Kumar Bajaj v. Union of India and Anr. | 2026 INSC 101)