V. VENKATESWARLU Vs. PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, REVENUE DEPARTMENT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Unsuccessful applicant in Original Application No.3152 of 2010 on the file of the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal at Hyderabad (hereinafter called, 'the Tribunal') is the petitioner in the present Writ Petition. Challenge in the present Writ Petition is to the order dtd. 28/10/2015 passed by the Tribunal, dismissing O.A.No.3152 of 2010. Pursuant to the registration of Crime No.113 of 2000 on the file of II Town Police Station, Madanapalle, against the petitioner herein for the offences alleged under Sec. 306 I.P.C., the Deputy Inspector General, Registration and Stamps, Kurnool, issued a charge memo dtd. 30/5/2001, framing the following Articles of Charges against the petitioner:

(2.) In response to the same, the petitioner herein submitted an explanation on 21/6/2001. Thereafter, the Disciplinary Authority appointed Enquiry Officer and the said Enquiry Officer, after holding enquiry, submitted a report dtd. 10/4/2003, holding the charges as proved. Thereafter, after issuing show cause notice dtd. 22/4/2003 and after receipt of the explanation from the petitioner dtd. 28/5/2003, the Disciplinary Authority/respondent No.3 herein, vide proceedings No.A/3489/2000 dtd. 14/8/2003, inflicted on the petitioner the penalty of stoppage of annual grade increment of the petitioner for three years without cumulative effect. Thereafter, the appellate and the revisional authorities also confirmed the said order of penalty on 8/8/2005 and 2/2/2010. In the above background, by invoking the provisions of Sec. 19 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, the petitioner herein filed O.A.No.3152 of 2010 on the file of the Tribunal. The Tribunal, by way of an order dtd. 28/10/2015, dismissed the said Original Application. Assailing the validity and the legal sustainability of the said order passed by the Tribunal, the present Writ Petition came to be instituted.

(3.) A counter affidavit is filed by the respondents, denying the allegations and the averments in the affidavit filed in support of the Writ Petition and in the direction of justifying the impugned orders.