R. SUNDARAM Vs. THE GENERAL MANAGER INDIAN BANK

JUDGEMENT

(1.) HEARD the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and the learned counsels appearing on behalf of the respondents.

(2.) THE learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner had stated that the petitioner belongs to 'Konda Reddy' community, which is a Scheduled Tribe. The petitioner had been issued with a community certificate, on 15.11.1975, by the Tahsildar, Mettur Dam. It had been further stated that many of the petitioner's relatives had been found to be belonging to 'Konda Reddy' community.

(3.) IT had been further stated that, while the petitioner was in service, during the year, 1997, the District Collector, Salem, had proposed to initiate proceedings for the cancellation of the community certificate issued in favour of the petitioner, based on the report of the Revenue Divisional Officer, Mettur Dam. As the District Collector had no jurisdiction to initiate action for the cancellation of the community certificate, the petitioner had filed a writ petition before this court, in W.P.No.12546 of 1998. Initially, an order of interim stay had been granted. Thereafter, a final order had been passed in the said writ petition, on 9.6.2009, holding that only the State Level Scrutiny Committee was competent to verify the status of the community certificate issued in favour of the petitioner. While so, by a letter, dated 28.5.2013, the second respondent had informed the petitioner that the verification of the community status of the petitioner was still pending and that the respondent bank had placed the petitioner under cessation of service. It had also been stated that the terminal benefits payable to the petitioner could not be released, except the contribution made by the petitioner for the Provident Fund.