The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has put on hold the transfer order of Delhi DGHS chief Dr Vatsala Aggarwal till the next hearing. Dr. Vatsala Aggarwal Delhi government He had challenged the order of May 21, 2026, in which he was removed from the post of Director General of Health Services (DGHS) and put in the “awaiting posting” category without assigning him any new role.
The tribunal found that he had made out a “prima facie case” and said that if the order continued during the pendency of the case, he might suffer “irreparable harm”. CAT has stayed the implementation of the transfer order till the next hearing on 29 May 2026.
Dr Aggarwal alleged that the transfer was “punitive” and “arbitrary”, and was related to a recent vigilance inspection conducted in the health department.
CAT bans transfer of Dr. Vatsala Aggarwal
According to the petition, vigilance officials had sought files related to procurement related to medicines, surgical items and medical equipment on May 18-19. The petition claims that Dr Aggarwal cooperated fully with vigilance officials, shared available records and even asked for “duplicate shadow files” to ensure continuity of patient care and procurement work.
His lawyer argued that despite this cooperation, he was suddenly removed from the post of DGHS within days of the vigilance investigation. The petition further states that during more than 30 years of service, no disciplinary proceedings, vigilance inquiry or adverse remarks were ever initiated against him.
CAT removes DGHS chief from “waiting” list
It was also argued in the application that this transfer was a violation of the transfer policy of Delhi Health Service, as he was removed without giving any concrete post.
Another important issue raised was that Dr Aggarwal was overseeing the Delhi Medical Council elections to be held on May 31, and her sudden removal just before the elections was a “deliberate decision”. The tribunal took cognizance that the Delhi government has sought more time to file detailed instructions in the matter.
CAT relied on the observations of the Supreme Court that transfer cannot be used “as a substitute for punishment”, and that judicial intervention is possible in malicious transfers. The hearing of this case will now take place again on May 29.
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