The Supreme Court has dismissed the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Pranaya Kishore Harichandan challenging reconstituted committee’s authority to have 2nd round of interaction during the GSTAT Member Selection Process.
The bench of Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Manmohan has observed, “After hearing learned counsel for the petitioner, we do not find any case is made out for interference with the impugned order. The Special Leave Petition is accordingly dismissed.”
The bench refused to interfere with the judgement of the Orissa High Court in which was held that while interpreting the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (Appointment and Conditions of Service of President and Members) Rules, 2023 held that a reconstituted Search and Selection Committee is well within its rights to restart the selection process de novo, especially when a member of the original committee demits office before the process concludes.
The court while Citing the Supreme Court’s decision in Union of India & Ors vs Kali Dass Batish & Anr, emphasized that the constitutional authority’s acceptance of an IB report deeming a candidate unsuitable cannot be easily disregarded.
The High Court ruled that there is no legal bar to a reconstituted Search and Selection Committee undertaking the entire selection process anew. The Court emphasized that suitability, integrity, and transparency are paramount, especially in appointments to judicial tribunals. The petition was dismissed, allowing the selection process to proceed afresh under the reconstituted committee.
Case Details
Case Title: Pranaya Kishore Harichandan Versus UOI
Case No.: Special Leave to Appeal (C) No(s). 28136/2025
Date: 10-10-2025
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