S K DUA Vs. STATE OF HARYANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Leave granted.

(2.) This appeal is directed against an order passed by the High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh on July 7, 2005 in Writ Petition (C) No. 10025 of 2005. By the impugned order, the High Court dismissed the petition in limine relegating the appellant writ petitioner to avail a remedy by approaching a Civil Court.

(3.) Facts in brief are that the appellant was working as an Engineer-in-Chief in the Department of Irrigation, Haryana. According to him, he joined the service in Irrigation Department of the erstwhile State of Punjab in August, 1961 and was allocated to the Department of Irrigation and Power in the State of Haryana. He was promoted as Engineer- in-Chief on May 31, 1996 and worked in that capacity till he attained the age of superannuation in June, 1998. The appellant had an unblemished record of service for 37 years. During the course of his duties as Head of the Department, he submitted reports in or about April-May, 1998 to the Government highlighting certain irregularities and mal- practices said to have been committed by Mr. S.Y. Quraishi, the then Secretary, Irrigation & Power and requested the Government to make enquiry through Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). According to the appellant, in pursuance of the complaint made by him, the Government removed Mr. Quraishi as Secretary, Irrigation allowing him to work only as Secretary, Department of Power.