P NARAYANAN NAIR Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner was a member of the Kerala State Forest Service and was occupying the post of Conservator of Forests which he relinquished on superannuation on 4. 8. 1967.

(2.) CERTAIN charges were framed against the petitioner as per a memo dated 11. 11. 1967 and this was supplemented by an additional statement of allegations furnished along with a letter addressed to him on 1. 2. 1967. After considering the explanation which the petitioner furnished in answer to those charges, the State Government by its order evidenced by Ext. P-1, dated 13. 3. 1967. exonerated the petitioner from all those charges.

(3.) THE State Cadre of the Indian Forest Service had been constituted with effect from 1. 10. 1966 and interviews had been conducted for the selection of officers belonging to the State Service for inclusion in the newly formed Indian Forest Service Cadre. The petitioner who was occupying the 2nd rank in the seniority list amongst the officers in the Kerala State Forest Service was selected by the Special Selection Board and also by the Union Public Service Commission for appointment to the Indian Forest Service; but his appointment was not notified because the State Government had intimated to the Central Government that disciplinary proceedings were then pending against him. In consequence of this the petitioner's name was not included in the notification dated 4th March, 1967 (Ext. P-2), issued under Rule 6 of the Indian Forest Service announcing the appointment of 21 officers belonging to the Kerala State Forest Service as members of the Indian Forest Service on probation.