Allahabad High Court Fines SBI for Delay in Compassionate Appointment

The Allahabad High Court has imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on the State Bank of India (SBI) for delay in compassionate appointment. SBI failed to decide a compassionate appointment application for five years.

The case was heard by Justice Ajay Bhanot after a petitioner approached the court. The petitioner’s father, an SBI employee, had died in service in 2019. His mother applied for compassionate appointment in 2020, but the bank did not take any decision despite repeated reminders. In 2025, the petitioner moved the High Court.

The petitioner argued that as per the revised scheme issued on 16 March 2021, a compassionate appointment application had to be filed within six months of the employee’s death. Since the application was filed within six months, it was valid.

The Court observed that there are two kinds of delays in such cases: delay in filing the application and delay in its consideration by authorities. While courts do not support delay by applicants, they also expect authorities to decide applications quickly.

The Court also pulled up SBI for failing to act promptly. It said the bank had a duty to decide applications in an expeditious manner. For this failure, the Court imposed a cost of ₹1 lakh on SBI.

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