STATE OF GUJARAT Vs. CHIRAGKUMAR GANPATBHAI DODIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard learned AGP Mr. Krutik Parikh for the appellant State and learned advocate Mr. Jit Patel for the respondent appearing for the respondent- original petitioner.

(2.) Challenge in this Letters Patent Appeal is directed against the judgment and order dtd. 22/3/2022 of the learned Single Judge whereby the learned Single Judge set aside the order of termination dtd. 23/9/2020 passed against the respondent-original petitioner.

(3.) The petitioner was Deputy Mamlatdar. The competent authority passed order dtd. 23/9/2020 of removal of the petitioner from service on the ground that FIR was lodged against the petitioner for the offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly taking bribe. It was recorded in the termination order that the petitioner who was a fixed term employee had committed serious misconduct and therefore his contractual services were liable to be terminated. Thus, in the said order, it was mentioned that the petitioner committed misconduct of accepting bribe, rendering the order to be stigmatic.