S.Raohu Prasad v. Central Bank of lndia

Order

'lhe prcsent Writ Petition is filed challenging the procecciings of thc 1.'t responde nt in imposing the punishment ol tlismissai s'hicl-r is a disqualification lor luture etnplol'ment uicle orclt:r datcd 27 -O9.2OO8; order of the Appellatc Authority datod 10.0L2o09 ancl order of the Review Authoritv datcd 15.o7.2O09 corrfirming thc punishment oI dismissai lrom scr-vit t: r.r:s illcgzrl and arbiLrary ancl for consequential relicfs' '2. The case of petitioner is that he joinr:d the Cenlral Bzrnk ol lnclii,r as Agricultural Assistant on O7-O8-1978 arLrcl was prom(ltc(l Ltp to the rank of Manager on 3 1-03-2002 and u'orkecl as sttch at Visakhapatnam Branch While he was working at I-[ubii Rranch, the Assistant General Manager/ Disciplinary Arrrlioritr r.,icle i\4emo dated 28 12 2006 called Llpon petitioncr tcr explerin u hv disciplinary action should no[ be taken alleging thrcc :rcts o[ misconcluct viz-, one Sri Narasiml-ra' Proprietor' Dolphin Chemicals, Visakl'rapatnam sought for cnhant'ement' in limits:rncl that petitioner hacl made him to believe thelt he u'as looking after r:rcdit portfolio at the branch and clemanded lrrvnurs from the saicl party such as drinks and illcgal gtrlificittLot't; thatt cven afler transfer, he used to telcphone thc i +:l I. said llcrson, d:rnanding motrer' :tncl threatening him; ancl thzri petitioner $'as ontrLtstccl rr'ith tire -iob oI ret:oven. oi b:rcl and doubtful ass.ctl.r. hot'evcr, llc dicl nclt perform his duties zrs expected of 1'rim and inclr-tlgccl irl aclivities u'hicl'r arc unbecoming o1 a bank olliccr. Petitioner submittcd explanation dated 09-O'.a .OO7 denving thc allegations, hou'cver, the Disciplinary Au t horitl'/ Assis tarr t (ienc r:rl Manager of I-{yderabad Zonal Office, is-.ued him a Mr:mortrndum of Chargc Shect dated O1-11 2OO7 anC askcd to submit u'rittcn statement of his del-encc lvith irr 7 d:r-r's ol rcce ipt. [t u':rs arlso allegcd that the Articles of t:harges u'ould constitute misconduct under Regulation 3 (1) rc:id uith Regulation 24 ol the Central Bank of India Officer Enrplovees (Condr-rct) Regulations, 1976. Petitioner is stated to ha','c madc reprcsctrtation datcd O9- 11 2OO7 to give him a reasot-tzrblc opporturtitr itnrl Limc up to 26.012-2007 fot submission -r[ iefense statcmerlt:rfter verification of thc records and also r:or testcd to pcrmil him go VisakhapaLnam for verification oI docutncnts. BLlt thc Disciplinar-v Authoritl' appointed anrl directcd Prescnting Officer to present Bank's case and lnrlurring Autl'rorit-r' to inqulre into the charges alleged agerinst hrm. l'hen, pe[itioner filed Writ Pctition No 25177 ol 2O07, rvherein stzl' of clepartmcntal enquiry u'as granted Therctrfter, pr:Iitioner submittcd cxplanatiorl aftcr furnishing -) A documcnts ref'errc'cl to in Annexure-lll. 'lhereafter. u,hen it v,,as reported rhar peri[ione r submitted explanation on OB 0l _2O0g, the Writ Petrrion rvas dismissed as infructuous. F.urLher, the lnquiring Authoritv u'ithout follorving due procedure ancl without furnishing relc',.ant documents, conducted enquilv in violation of principles of natural justice and submitted report dated 06 09 200i3 holcling charge No. 1 as proved ancl Charge No. 2 p:irtlr pro,.'c:cl. On I 1-9 2OO8, petitioner made dctailcd re quisition clatecl 17 09-2008 to furnish the documents, which lvcre not lurnisht_'cl to me on carlier occasion and not to take { any dccisurn [;asccl on the report. When, without furnishing thc documents, llesporrdcnls are preparing to pass the final orders, petitioncr filed Writ Petition No. 20498 of 2OOg, wherein interim ordcr d:r ted 2'2 09 -2OOa was passed to consider the reprcsentrltlon clated 26 08 2008 and pass appropriate orders. In terms ttrercof, bzrnk flurnishcd copies of documents rvhich were rcceir.cd b_r. petitioner on 3O-09 2008; even prior thereto, Disciplin:r11 Ar-r rhoritl. issucrl proceedings dated 27 -Og-2OOg imposing the punishment of clismissal lrom service. Aggrieved by the same, pctitioncr lited Writ petition No. 24420 oI 2OOg and obt:rinecl interim suspension by order dated 07- I 1 2008. Thereafter, on the premise that petitioner preferred an Appe:rl to Lhc Appellzrte Authority, the said Writ petition i.r,a s I .l + clisposed o[ lrv orcler datecl O2 12 2008 clirccting the Appellate Authoritv to di;pose ol thc Appe:'r1 Tht: Appellate Aurhoritv br- orclcr datcrl 30 01 2009 2.1. dismissecl thtr Appeal challenging u'hich' [lcvierv [)etition u'as tzrken oul arL'l the said Petition uas erlso clismissecl and the same wits c:o;.llmunicated to petitione r utd'e lctter clated 29-07 - )UOa. Hlll, (. rhc Writ Pctititrtl' 3

\\'hilc making the abovc subtnisstons' counsel fc'r petitioncr Sri Cfr' Srinivas h:rd relied on the lollowing judSlments : Iearned Appedl scR (1) 866l a. Roop Singh Negi rt' Punjab Nationol na1}-- lCiult No.'7 4 3 1 / 2 oo 8, sr'ptci tTiz g / 2 o o 7 date d 7 9' 1 2' 2 o o I b. Sau;ci Singh u' stcLtt if'nic,"than [1986 ScR(z) 954 c. stcrte of uttdr p-:rra,zJ|-"'"i"na' in"aff ft1982) 2 scc u.?::!""Airtines?.Y;P,ffi 7ffi 'r',?;*y"i:"1ilff1, e. Central Bonk of lndit ,. ?ff"flJ:rtLmar Kindra u' Dethi Admi,.istr,.tion [leal l,earnecl Slancling Cottnsel lor the barlk Sri Ch Siva I Reddy, bas;:cl on thc coul.rtcr mzrkes submissions that zrfter ol :rpPe:rring bclore the Enqutry rece iving rl otice, instead thc lct ter clated 09 l l '2OO7 seeking authoritY, pctitioner gave time Llp t<t 26 11-20O7 lor gil'ing his u'rittcn subrnissions of dclcnse ,r'ith intention to del:rv cnquiry procccdings Wh<:n Lhe t. )! I I ,I Enquiry officer ardjourned thc cncluiry from 20. | | .2OO7 to Ol.l2.2OO7, he hlecl Writ Petition No.25I77 of 2OO7, pursuant to the interim direcrion thcrcit-t, respondent bank provided all the documcnts rn'h icir the pctitioner- has sought for as per the letter dated 19.12.'2OO7 . Sincc the interim orders werc compliecl with, the Writ Petition n'zrs dismissed as infructuous on

02.O4.2OOa. According to lcarned counscl, the said Writ Petition w.as filed r'r'ith an inlctt[ion to clela,y thc enquiry proceedings evcn though there '"r'as no pt-zrcLice ol giving the documents before proceeding for thc cnquiry but only the list of documents and ',,r'itnesses is provided and opportutnity u'ould be givcn to delinquent emplol ee at the timc of enquiry to verify thc documents r,"'hich are lilcd by the management to prepare with his delense in thc enqr,riry proccedings. Furlher, it is submittcd that during the enquir-r,' proceedings, the petitioner was given ample opportunitl,' to cross examinc the witnesses produced by the bank, to enE{age dclcnse reprcsentative and he rn'as allou'ed to examine his ou'n r,r'il nesscs and to file the documcnts on which hc u'as relying for his det-ense . Pelitioner utilized a1l the opporLunitics and aftcr complction of enquiry, the Enquiry Officer submitted his report/findings dated 06'09 2OOa holding that charge No- I is provecl ancl c}'rargc No.2 is partly proved- Petitioner, insteacl oI submitting r'vritten submissions, mzrde /l 6 EF! .l i. I I allcgations aqirit'rst bank and rcclueslcd thc t'rtattirgcnlenL to providc so rlanv documents as per the list givcll bv him uide letter dated 17.09.2008 u'hich have no rclervitncv ln Lhe mr:anLirne, pr:ttt ioner hled Writ PcLition No- 20'198 ol )OO8 Lo sct aside Lhe enqLIrry report ancl this Court clirc:ctec1 rcspondent bank to cotrsirler the Appliczrtior', of Ii'lc pctili'rncr dated

26.O8.2008 il:cl under the Right to InlormaLion At't and pass appropriate oi-ders. Pursuant to the said ordcr datcd '22.Og.2OO8, bar-rk passed order dated 2'/.O().21)t\t\ irrlorming that the infortrration sought for u'as exemptecl froln clisclosure uncler Sectio;t 8. As there u'as t-lo st.t-\' in respect of rtcpartmental rroceedings, the Disciplinary Atltllor-irv passccl orcler dated 2l -Og.2OO8 imposing the punishmer-rt ol dismissal from sen'ice. 'lhe Appeal prcferrecl thercitgairlst u as disrnisscd on 3O.O 1.2O0!) and the Revien' Pctitiol'r lrdr: or-clers dated 2L).O7 .2009 .

5. While making the above subuissiotts, lc-arned Star-rding Couttsel relied on the follou'ing judgmellts: 2181 ORDER WP.No.18560 of 2009 DISMISSING THE W.P WITHOUT COSTS. 1 \Ln v{