MINISTRY OF FINANCE Vs. S B RAMESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The appellants impugn the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal, Hyderabad Bench, dated 9-8-94 in O.A. No. 27/94.

(2.) Before proceeding to consider the issues, we want to observe the following: This Court while granting special leave on 28-2-95 expedited the hearing of the appeal and directed the counsel to complete the paper books within ten weeks. In spite of passing of nearly three years after the leave was granted, no steps have been taken to complete the paper books and we have to go only by the order of the Tribunal. In the SLP paper book, only a copy of the judgment of the Tribunal, apart from the Special Leave Petition and the Counter Affidavit filed by the appellants before the Tribunal, is available and no other documents were included. Hence, leave was granted by this Court to complete the paper book. Even then the appellants did not care to avail the opportunity.

(3.) Now on merits. The respondent in this appeal was working as an Income-tax Officer, Group 'B', during the relevant period. He was proceeded departmentally by filing a charge-sheet dated 7-5-87 for alleged irregularities in the income-tax assessment. For reasons with which we are not concerned, that was not pursued after certain stage. Later on, the respondent was served with another charge-sheet dated 25-3-88. The article of charge reads as follows:-