AVINASH SHARAD DAGAONKAR Vs. BANK OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the Petitioner interalia challenges the suspension order dated 7 June 2011, the order dated 14 February 2013 imposing penalty of dismissal as confirmed by the Appellate Authority's order dated 16 May 2013 as also confirmed by the Reviewing Authority by its order dated 22 October 2013, praying that these orders be quashed and set aside with a further prayer seeking reinstatement in service with full backwages. The facts in nutshell are:-

(2.) The Petitioner joined services with the first Respondent in the year 1983 as a clerk-cum-cashier. He received promotions and ultimately in the year 2010 was working as Senior Branch Manager at Mahidpur branch of the first Respondent. The Petitioner states that from January to May 2011, two officers from Mahidpur branch were transferred to the other branches resulting in tremendous work load on the Petitioner and other officers working in the branch.

(3.) On 7 June 2011 the first Respondent issued an order of suspending the Petitioner in contemplation of a departmental inquiry. The suspension order recorded that the Petitioner had parted with the security documents in respect of KCC loan accounts sanctioned by the Petitioner. The order sets out details of 40 accounts alongwith the details of the sanctioned amount and the disbursed amount. It was recorded that the Petitioner had connived with the local agents and collected bribe for sanction of KCC loans through these agents, which was also widely reported in the local media, which tarnished the bank's image.