S.KALA Vs. PRINCIPAL SECRETARY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Writ Petition has been filed challenging the impugned G.O. (3D) No.14, Home (Police.XVIII) Department, dated 24.02.2016, thereby imposing and modifying the punishment of stoppage of increment for three years without cumulative effect imposed on the petitioner into one of punishment of Censure.

(2.) Learned Counsel for the petitioner assailing the impugned order would submit that when the petitioner was serving as Assistant Director in the Forensic Sciences Department, Chennai, she suffered a departmental proceedings initiated under Rule 17(a) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules on 10.05.2014 for having committed the following lapses, namely,

(3.) The learned Counsel for the petitioner would further submit that on reply to the 4 count lapses levelled against her in the Charge Memo dated 16.05.2014, the petitioner has given a detailed explanation stating that on 08.04.2014, she had come to the office as usual and then started her daily routine. Around 10.00-10.05 a.m., she received a call through intercom from one Ilangovan, Assistant Director-in- Charge, Mobile Forensic Science Laboratory, stating that Tmt.M.Hemalatha, Scientific Officer, Mobile Forensic Science Laboratory, St.Thomas Mount had sent him a SMS text stating that she was entering on medical leave and he had also received a message from the Inspector of Avadi Police Station about a gruesome murder of a watchman of Muthoot Finance. Since the name of the petitioner is in the roster, she has to go to the scene of crime.