MANOJ KUMAR EMBRANTHIRI Vs. COCHIN DEVSWOM BOARD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is working as a 'Santhikkaran' under the 1st respondent Devaswom Board. The dispute in this writ petition is with respect to the period during which he was working at Thammanam Ananthapuram Sree Krishna Swami Temple as a Santhikkaran. The petitioner has taken charge as a Santhikkaran of the said temple on 29/8/2008, from the then Santhikkaran Sri. Venkittan Embranthiri. Later, on the basis of a complaint lodged by the sixth respondent with respect to a missing gold waistband, proceedings were taken against the petitioner. Enquiry was carried out against the petitioner and ultimately by virtue of Ext.P15 dtd. 17/4/2012 issued by the second respondent, the petitioner is directed to make payment of the value of the gold waistband amounting to Rs.63,600.00. It is seen that though an appeal at Ext.P16 is filed, the same is also rejected by the first respondent Board pursuant to Ext.P17 order dtd. 9/7/2012. This is followed with a charge memo of Ext.P18 dtd. 6/7/2012.

(2.) The petitioner has, in such circumstances, preferred this writ petition raising the following prayers:-

(3.) The first respondent Board has filed a counter affidavit in the matter dtd. 18/1/2023. In this counter affidavit, after referring to the proceedings initiated and the order in the appeal referred to above, the Board has placed reliance upon Ext.R1(A) report of the Vigilance Officer dtd. 2/7/2010 and an enquiry report dtd. 3/9/2015 submitted by the Assistant Commissioner (Finance) produced as Ext.R1(B). Thereafter, the Board has also relied upon Ext.R1(C) order dtd. 17/5/2016 to contend that further enquiry is required in this regard.