JAGDISH SINGH Vs. PUNJAB ENGINEERING COLLEGE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Delay condoned. Leave granted.

(2.) This is an appeal by special leave against the judgment and order of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in Civil Writ Petition No. 1993 of 2006 dated 28.08.2007, wherein and whereunder, the High Court has dismissed the writ petition by affirming the order passed by the disciplinary authority of the respondent college.

(3.) The facts in brief are as under : - The appellant was working as a Sweeper in the Respondent-Punjab Engineering College. He remained absent unauthorizedly for the period from 11.02.2004 to 13.02.2004, 17.02.2004 to 20.02.2004, 05.03.2004 to 09.03.2004 and 23.03.2004 to 26.03.2004. The departmental enquiry was initiated by the disciplinary authority of the college by issuing a charge memo containing the allegation of unauthorized absence and an inquiry officer was appointed to enquire into the charges alleged. In reply to the charge memo and also before the inquiry officer, the plea of the workman was that in order to save matrimonial life of his daughter due to indifferent attitude of her in-laws, he had no other go but to absent himself on different dates during the month of February and March, 2004 and further he could not take prior permission from the employer due to mental agony, anguish, and the anxiety that he was undergoing during the relevant time.