P. SIVANANDI vs RAJEEV KUMAR .

The Supreme Court ruled that the Annual Confidential Report (ACR) of an officer is an integral part of his service record and cannot be disregarded for promotion solely due to delays in its preparation. The Court held that the Madras High Court's decision, which suggested otherwise, was incorrect. The Court emphasized that an officer should not be prejudiced by the delay in writing the ACR, affirming the importance of complete and accurate service records in promotion decisions under the Indian Police Service (Appointment by Promotion) Regulations, 1955.