B.S.N.L. & Ors Vs. Rajesh
Kumar Saxena [2008] Insc 440 (13 March 2008)
Tarun Chatterjee & Harjit
Singh Bedi
Civil Appeal No 1980 of
2008 (Arising out of Slp ( C ) No. 3643 of 2007) Harjit Singh Bedi,J.
1. Leave granted.
2. This appeal by way of special leave is based on the following facts.
3. The respondent Rajesh Kumar Saxena was placed under suspension vide order
dated 26th June, 2004 under sub-rule(1) of Rule 10 of the Central Civil
Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules 1965 on the allegation that
while working as an Officiating Chief Accounts Officer in Moradabad in the year
2003, he had failed to maintain absolute integrity and shown lack of devotion
to duty. The appellant however attained the age of superannuation during his
suspension and was retired provisionally on 31st July, 2004 as per order
Annexure P-2, with the stipulation that as per the Central Civil Services Rules
(Pension Rules) 1972 the payments due to him would be made on finalization of
the disciplinary proceedings. The order dated 26th June, 2004 was challenged
before the Allahabad High Court by way of a Writ Petition. The Division Bench
of the High Court in its order dated 23rd November, 2006 held that as the
charge sheet had been served on the appellant more than one year after his
retirement, the proceedings against him were nonest and that as suspension
itself was not a punishment and that in any case, it would 'evaporate' on his
superannuation, there was no justification in withholding the retirement
benefits such as pension, provident fund, leave salary, group insurance, CDS
amount etc. and a direction was issued to make all payments within a period of
two months from the date of communication of the order. It is in this
circumstance, the present appeal is before us by way of special leave at the
instance of the department.
4. Several arguments have been raised by the learned counsel for the
appellant during the course of the hearing and reference has been made to
various rules. Special reference has however been laid on the fact that very
serious allegations of misconduct on the part of the respondent and 30 other
departmental officers who too had been suspended had been revealed during
investigation.
5. The learned counsel for the respondents has however pointed out that the
question as to whether initiation of proceedings could or could not be made
after the retirement of the respondent and as to whether the chargesheet had
been served within the requisite period had been raised in this appeal and
which needed to be answered before a reversal of the High Court's judgment. We
are however of the opinion that at this stage we are not called upon to go
through these issues as to do so could have the effect of damaging the cause of
one or the other party in the departmental proceedings that are presently going
on and in particular, those amongst the suspended officials who are not before
us in this matter. We are accordingly of the opinion that as per the rules, the
respondent would be entitled to the payment of provisional pension and to the
release of his provident fund alone and he would have to await the decision on
the enquiry before the release of the other retiral benefits. We also make it
clear that as we have not dealt with the basic legal issues raised by the parties,
they would be at liberty to raise them at any subsequent stage should the need
so arises. We allow the appeal to the above extent. The order of the High Court
shall be deemed to be modified in the above terms.
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