AMARJEET KUMAR SAHU Vs. STATE OF JHARKHAND

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard the parties.

(2.) The present writ petition has been filed for quashing the disciplinary order dtd. 5/1/2014 contained in Memo No. 29 passed by Deputy Commissioner, Giridih, whereby the petitioner has been inflicted the punishment of Censure and withholding of two increments with cumulative effect, as also for quashing of appellate order dtd. 1/10/2018, whereby the Divisional Commissioner, North Chotanagpur Division, Hazaribag affirmed the penalty order.

(3.) Shorn of unnecessary details, the material facts of the present writ are that a revenue camp was organized on 20/4/2011 at Village- Chapuadih, Bengabad Circle. In the said camp, the presence of higher officials of the Block level was essentially required, but they did not appear. The petitioner, being the Revenue Karamchari, attended the camp on the verbal direction of the higher officials. As the camp was organized after effective publicity through notice, newspaper and banners, a large number of villagers attended the camp. Since all the revenue registers were kept on table in public place and the petitioner being busy with receiving mutation applications, someone took away Volume-I and Volume-II of the Revenue Register-II. Upon roving search when no clue was found whereabouts the records, a certificate to this effect was issued by the village representatives. The petitioner also submitted a written information to the concerned police station regarding the said incident. On the same day i.e. 20/4/2011, the petitioner informed the Circle Officer about the incident in details through the Circle Inspector vide Annexure-1. Upon transfer, the petitioner while handed over the charge to his successor Sri Avinash Kumar, clearly stated in the charge report that Volume-I and II of Register-II of Village-Chapuadih got lost in revenue camp. Thereafter the matter was reported to the Addl. Collector, Giridih and in turn, the Addl. Collector issued a show cause notice to the petitioner on the point of missing of the said documents and not giving proper information to Circle Officer to the effect. The petitioner replied to the show cause notice in detailed, as stated above.