INDERJIT SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioner has approached this Court, challenging the order dated 07.11.2019 (Annexure P-6) passed by the Director, Social Security and Women and Child Development Department, Punjab-respondent No.2, whereby his services have been terminated.

(2.) Briefly, the facts are that the petitioner was appointed as a Driver on 89 days basis in the office of Chief Development Project Officer, Phagwara, District Kapurthala, on 21.03.1995. As per the allegation against the petitioner, he unauthorizedly took the Government jeep bearing No.PB- 13H-1100 to his village Ghanauri Kalan and raised a dispute in the village under the influence of liquor, due to which he alongwith the jeep remained in police custody. Vide order dated 19.07.2004 (Annexure P-4), his services were terminated, against which he preferred Civil Writ Petition No.8246 of 2005 (Inderjit Singh Vs. State of Punjab and others). This Court, on 24.05.2019, passed the following order:-

(3.) After passing of the said order, the petitioner was given an opportunity to file a response to the allegations. He was asked to appear in the office of the respondents vide communication dated 24.07.2019. Accordingly, the petitioner appeared and submitted his reply regarding his termination. Thereafter, next date of hearing was fixed as 13.08.2019. The reply, which he had submitted, has been reproduced in the impugned order. The reasons, which have been given by the petitioner as also the justification assigned by him, have been duly considered by the competent authority and it came to a conclusion that the order which had been passed earlier i.e. Dated 19.07.2004 (Annexure P-4) was in accordance with law and fully justified, especially keeping in view the fact that the petitioner had unauthorizedly taken the Government jeep bearing registration No.PB-13H- 1100 to his village Ghanauri Kalan. As per the medical examination, the petitioner was found to be under the influence of alcohol and in that condition he had a fight with one Dev Singh son of Sadhu Singh, because of which proceedings under Section 107/151 Cr.P.C. were initiated against him. Not only the petitioner but the Government jeep was also kept in police custody from 02.06.2000 to 06.06.2000. The reply, which has been submitted by the petitioner, has not been found to be satisfactory and accordingly it was held that the services of the petitioner have been terminated in accordance with law.