(1.) The State of Gujarat has filed this appeal challenging the oral judgement dtd. 28/3/2018 passed in Special Civil Application No. 17159 of 2007. The respondent was the original petitioner therein who had preferred the petition seeking to challenge GPSC's order dated 8. 06.2007 whereby the pay of the petitioner/respondent herein was reduced by two stages for five years without future effect with a further stipulation that during that period the petitioner would not earn increment. The learned Single Judge by an extensive consideration of facts and various case laws held that the order of punishment was illegal and the same was therefore quashed and set aside directing the State to pay all consequential benefits.
(2.) The factual scenario as set out by the learned Single Judge reads as under:
(3.) Ms. Shruti Dhruve, learned AGP appearing for the appellant State assailing the order of the learned Single Judge would make the following submissions: