V NARAYANAN Vs. DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER DISCIPLINARY AUTHORITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) APPELLANT has filed this Writ Appeal, aggrieved over the order, dated 31.01.2008, passed in W.P.No.20687 of 2001, whereby a learned single Judge confirmed the punishment of compulsory retirement imposed on the appellant by the first and third respondents.

(2.) APPELLANT was a Lead Bank Manager at Pudukkottai Branch of Indian Overseas Bank and he had put in more than 29 years of service. For the alleged harassment caused to him, he wrote several letters to the superior authorities with copies to outside agencies such as Ministry of Finance, Reserve Bank of India, Indian Banks Association etc. Construing the same as misconduct, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the appellant, framing certain charges, which resulted in his suspension on 20.08.1999. Thereafter, Inquiring Authority was appointed to look into the matter. Based on the inquiry report, the disciplinary authority, namely, first respondent, passed an order of compulsory retirement against the appellant, by an order dated 04.05.2001, which was confirmed by the appellate authority, namely, third respondent, by an order dated 06.10.2001, against which the Writ Petition was filed, whereupon also, the punishment of compulsory retirement imposed on the appellant was affirmed. Hence, this Writ Appeal.

(3.) SINCE this Writ Appeal involves a short point of law as regards the non -supply of list of documents and the list of witnesses during the course of enquiry, we restrain ourselves to the said point, which would suffice for disposal of this Writ Appeal, and, for that matter, we feel it appropriate to refer the facts to that extent alone.