E V RAMANARAYANAN, SENIOR MANAGER (STANDS REMOVED) Vs. GENERAL MANAGER (HRM), HRM DEPARTMENT, INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS DIVISION AND ORS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner, a Senior Manager, challenges the order of dismissal passed against him; being a punishment imposed in a disciplinary proceeding initiated.

(2.) I have heard learned Senior Counsel appearing for the petitioner and the learned Standing Counsel appearing for the respondent-Bank.

(3.) The learned Senior Counsel would argue that the charges were vague and the petitioner was not offered adequate opportunity to defend his case in the enquiry proceedings, since the documents asked for by him were not supplied to him. It is also contended that there were other persons involved in the transactions, which formed the basis of the allegations levelled against the petitioner and none were imposed with such an onerous punishment. It is contented that the petitioner, on taking charge as Branch Manager of Kozhikode, had detected certain discrepancies in two accounts maintained in the Branch by M/s.Kalpa Oils [for brevity "KO"] and M/s.Kaveri Trading Company [for brevity "KTC"], which he had promptly brought to the notice of the Regional Office. The petitioner contends that the facilities provided to the said two account holders were already murky and the petitioner who took charge as Branch Manager on 11.05.2000 was not at all responsible for the same. The petitioner brought to the notice of the higher-ups, the discrepancies in the accounts which has resulted in this vindictive action against the petitioner.