SINGURU MOHANA RAO Vs. HIGH COURT AT HYDERABAD FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AND FOR THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, HYDERABAD REP. BY ITS REGISTRAR (VIGILANCE)

JUDGEMENT

(1.) - The petitioner, a Junior Civil Judge, was visited with the minor penalty of stoppage of two increments without cumulative effect under proceedings dated 11.11.2014 of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the State of Telangana and the State of Andhra Pradesh. By way of this writ petition, he prays for quashing of the said proceedings and for all consequential benefits.

(2.) Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the petitioner by the High Court, vide order dated 08.11.2011, under Rule 20 of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1991 (for brevity, 'the Rules of 1991'). Be it noted that, in terms of Rule 19 of the Andhra Pradesh State Judicial Service Rules, 2007, the Rules of 1991 are made applicable to members of the judicial service.

(3.) A single charge was framed against the petitioner that while working as a Judicial Magistrate of First Class at Addateegala, East Godavari District, he issued a non-bailable warrant against A4 in C.C.No.16 of 2006 on 14.09.2009 without verifying the record, though there was a note on the docket that summons was to be issued to A4, signed the non-bailable warrant on 30.09.2009, and kept A4 in unwarranted and illegal custody from 06.10.2009 to 14.10.2009, thereby acting in a most negligent and callous manner, which act of his, if proved or established, amounted to grave misconduct unbecoming of a judicial officer within the meaning of Rule 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964.