(1.) Order of punishment dated 30.6.1988 (Annexure P/1) passed by the Director, Food and Supplies, Punjab as well as order dated 15.6.1989 (Annexure P/3) passed by the Government dismissing the appeal of the petitioner filed by him against the order of punishment have been made subject matter of challenge in this petition.
(2.) Briefly stated, the case of the petitioner is that while he was working as Junior Analyst, Jagraon Laboratory, Ludhiana, he was placed under suspension vide order dated 17.12.1986. this was followed by a charge-sheet dated 10/18.3.1987 for an inquiry under the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970. Inquiry Officer who had inquired into the matter held that charge No. 1 levelled against the petitioner is proved. He, however, held that charge No. 2 was not proved against the petitioner. On the basis of the inquiry report, the Director Food and Supplies Punjab issued order dated 30.6.1988 and imposed penalty of dismissal from service on the petitioner. Against the order of dismissal from service, the petitioner filed an appeal which too has been dismissed by the Government vide order Annexure P/3 dated June 15,1989.
(3.) Although a number of grounds have been raised in the writ petition for challenging the two orders, after having heard learned counsel for the parties at length, I am of the opinion that it is not necessary to decide all the contentions raised by learned counsel for the petitioner and that the writ petition deserves to be allowed on a short ground that the disciplinary authority has acted in contravention of the principles of natural justice.