C MUNIRAJ Vs. SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioners are Head Constables and they have come up with the above writ petitions challenging the orders of penalty of reduction in the time scale of pay by two stages for a period of two years with cumulative effect.

(2.) HEARD Mr.R.Thiagarajan, learned Senior Counsel for the petitioners and Mr.N.Srinivasan, learned Additional Government Pleader for the respondents.

(3.) IN pursuance of the said directions, charge memos were issued under 3(b) of the Tamilnadu Police Subordinate Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules (hereinafter referred to as the Rules) against all the members of the police team. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic (South) was nominated as the Enquiry Officer. The Enquiry Officer submitted his report holding that the charges were proved. On the basis of the said report, the Disciplinary Authority imposed the penalty of reduction in pay by two stages for two years with cumulative effect. The orders of the Disciplinary Authority namely the Commissioner of Police were dated 31.5.2001. The appeals filed by the petitioners were rejected by the Director General of Police by orders dated 22.7.2002. The petitioners thereafter filed mercy petitions to the Chief Minister during the grievance day. Those mercy petitions were rejected by orders dated 15.3.2004. Simultaneously, the petitioners had filed petitions to the Government on 29.4.2003. Contending that they were not disposed of for a long time, the petitioners filed writ petitions in W.P.Nos.2788 and 2789 of 2006. The said writ petitions were disposed of by orders dated 10.6.2010 directing the Government to consider the petitions filed by the petitioners and pass orders within three months. IN pursuance of the said orders, the Government considered the petitions and dismissed the same by orders dated 25.2.2011. Aggrieved by the same, the petitioners have come up with the above petitions.