VINAY KUMAR RAI Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner has challenged an order dated 13.08.2015 passed by the DIG (CR & Vigilance) of Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF, for short), Ministry of Home Affairs by which he imposed a punishment on the petitioner of reduction to lower stage in the time scale of pay by one stage for a period of one year without cumulative effect which order the petitioner unsuccessfully challenged since his appeal was dismissed on 17.03.2016.

(2.) The facts are as under:

(3.) A perusal of statement of imputation of misconduct would show that according to the department the petitioner had unauthorisedly and maliciously carried out corrections, overwritings and changes in the result sheets of several candidates who had appeared in such recruitment process. According to the department, these alterations were carried out with a mala fide intention. It was, therefore, alleged that the petitioner did not conduct the test in a fair and impartial manner and on account of which deserving candidates were deprived of the selection and physical examinations and trade test were tampered to favour some of the candidates unlawfully. The petitioner thus failed to maintain absolute integrity and devotion to duty and his conduct was thus unbecoming of a Government servant. The petitioner denied the charges upon which a departmental inquiry was conducted. After detailed inquiry the inquiry officer submitted his report dated 29.03.2012. Whatever be the reason, the disciplinary authority provided the copy of the inquiry officer's report to the petitioner under a letter dated 14.11.2012, i.e. nearly 9 months later. The covering letter under which the copy of inquiry officer's report was supplied reads as under: