S. K. GUPTA Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This petition is directed against an order dated 29th November, 2001 passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi (CAT) dismissing the Petitioners OA No. 630/2001 thereby negating his challenge to a charge sheet dated 9th November, 1994 and the consequent penalty order dated 14th March, 2000 passed by the Secretary, Ministry of Non Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) compulsorily retiring him from service.

(2.) The Petitioner is a qualified Engineer who has done his Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Delhi College of Engineering, M. Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management. In 1979, the Petitioner joined the National Physical Laboratory as Scientist B. In 1982 he came on deputation to Commission for Additional Source of Energy (CASE) entrusted with the duty to establish the Solar Energy Centre (SEC), Government of India as Senior Engineer.

(3.) The SEC was set up as a scheme of the Department of Non-Conventional Sources (DNES), later to become the Ministry for Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES). Through a process of direct recruitment, the Petitioner was appointed as Principal Scientific Officer (PSO) in the SEC in 1986. He held this post till the date of his compulsory retirement. In 1988 the SEC was granted the status of a division of a DNES.