The State of Karnataka v. Aadinarayan

( , ( ( (IN(THE(HIGH(COURT(OF(KARNATAKA,((

KALABURAGI(BENCH(

THDATED(THIS(THE(15 (DAY(OF(OCTOBER,(2025(

PRESENT( THE(HON'BLE(MR.(JUSTICE(H.T.NARENDRA(PRASAD( (AND(( (THE(HON'BLE(MR.(JUSTICE(TYAGARAJA(N.(INAVALLY( ( WRIT(PETITION(NO.202295(OF(2025((S-KSAT)( BETWEEN:(( (

1., THE,STATE,OF,KARNATAKA,, REPRESENTED,BY,ITS,SECRETARY,,, DEPARTMENT,OF,FINANCE,(TREASURY),,,

M.S,BUILDING,,BENGALURU-560,001., ,

2., THE,DIRECTOR/COMMISSIONER,,

DEPARTMENT,OF,TREASURY,,KPTCL,BUILDING,,, VI,FLOOR,,PALACE,ROAD,,BENGALURU-560,001., ,

…PETITIONERS,Digitallytisignedtiby BASALINGAPPA (BY,SRI.,VIRANAGOUDA,M.,BIRADAR,,AGA), SHIVARAJ DHUTTARGAON ,

Location:0HIGH AND:( COURT0OF KARNATAKA (

1., SHRI.,AADINARAYAN,S/O,G.,VEERALAH,,, AGE:,71,YEARS,,OCC:,SECOND,DIVISION, ASSISTANT,(RETD),,O/O,DISTRICT,TREASURY,, KALABURAGI,,R/O,NEAR,N.V,GIRLS,HIGH,SCHOOL,, BRAHAMPUR,,KALABURAGI-585,102., , …RESPONDENT, (BY,SRI.,R.J.,BHUSARE,,ADVOCATE), , ( , ( ( , THIS,WRIT,PETITION,IS,FILED,UNDER,ARTICLES,226,&, 227,OF,THE,CONSTITUTION,OF,INDIA,,PRAYING,TO,(i),ISSUE, A,WRIT,OF,CERTIORARI,OR,ANY,OTHER,WRIT,OF,THE,NATURE, OF,CERTIORARI,OR,ANY,OTHER,APPROPRIATE,WRIT,OR,ORDER, OR, DIRECTION, TO, QUASH, THE, ORDER, PASSED, BY, THE, KARNATAKA, STATE, ADMINISTRATIVE, TRIBUNAL, AT, KALABURAGI, IN, APPLICATION, NO.20575/2024, DATED,

02.09.2024,ANNEXURE,–,B,TO,THE,PETITION,AND,DISMISSED, THE, APPLICATION, NO.20575/2024;, (ii), PASS, ANY, OTHER, APPROPRIATE, ORDER, IN, LIGHT, OF, FACTS, AND, CIRCUMSTANCES,OF,THE,CASE., , THIS, PETITION, COMING, ON, FOR, ORDERS,, THIS, DAY,, ORDER,WAS,MADE,THEREIN,AS,UNDER:, , CORAM:, HON'BLE,MR.,JUSTICE,H.T.NARENDRA,PRASAD, ,AND,, ,HON'BLE,MR.,JUSTICE,TYAGARAJA,N.,INAVALLY, ( ORAL(ORDER( (PER:,HON'BLE,MR.,JUSTICE,H.T.NARENDRA,PRASAD)( , , This,writ,petition,is,filed,by,the,State,challenging,the, order,passed,by,Karnataka,State,Administrative,Tribunal,, Kalaburagi, (for, short,, 'the, Tribunal'), in, Application, No.20575/2024, whereby, the, application, filed, by, the, respondent,came,to,be,allowed.,, , , 2., The, brief, facts, of, the, case, are, that;, the, respondent, was, working, as, Second, Division, Assistant., ( , ( ( While,working,as,Second,Division,Assistant,in,the,office,of, Gazetted, Sub-Treasury, Officer,, Yadgiri, in, Kalaburagi, District,,during,1996-97,,in,relation,to,release,of,grant-in-aid,, department, enquiry, has, been, initiated, against, the, respondent,and,one,Mohammed,Ismail,,who,was,working, as, Gazetted, Sub-Treasury, Officer., Common, enquiry, against,both,the,officials,has,been,initiated,and,common, charges,have,been,framed,against,them.,,After,conducting, enquiry,, the, Enquiry, Officer, submitted, his, report, dated,

05.03.2001, holding, that, charges, against, the, Mohammed, Ismail, was, proved., The, disciplinary, authority, passed, an, order,dated,11.08.2004,in,respect,of,Mohammed,Ismail,by, imposing,penalty,and,order,dated,27.07.2005,was,passed, in, respect, of, the, respondent, herein, imposing, penalty, of, withholding,three,annual,increment,with,cumulative,effect, and, promotion, for, three, years, and, also, ordered, for, recovery,of, sum,of, Rs.3,03,750/-,from, the,salary,of, the, respondent.,,, , ( , ( ( , 3., Being,aggrieved,by,the,penalty,imposed,by,the, disciplinary,authority,,both,employees,have,filed,separate, appeal, before, the, appellate, authority., , The, appeal, preferred,by,Mohammed,Ismail,has,been,allowed,by,the, appellate, authority,, whereas, the, appeal, filed, by, the, respondent,herein,before,the,appellate,authority,came,to, be,rejected.,, , , , 4., Being, aggrieved, by, the, same,, the, respondent, herein, has, filed, an, application, before, the, Tribunal, in, Application,No.6847/2010.,The,Tribunal,vide,order,dated,

13.02.2019, has, set, aside, the, order, and, remitted, the, matter,to,the,appellate,authority,to,reconsider,the,case,of, the, respondent, and, pass, appropriate, orders., , The, appellate, authority, once, again, by, its, order, dated,

29.04.2020,dismissed,the,appeal,,confirming,the,penalty, imposed,on,the,respondent.,, , , 5., Being, aggrieved, by, the, same,, the, respondent, has,filed,an,application,before,the,Tribunal,in,Application, ( , ( ( No.20575/2024., , The, Tribunal, by, its, order, dated,

02.09.2024,allowed,the,said,application,.,,Being,aggrieved, by,the,same,,the,State,is,before,this,Court.,, , , , 6., Learned, Additional, Government, Advocate, appearing, for, the, petitioners, contended, that, challenging, the, order, dated, 29.04.2020, passed, by, the, appellate, authority,,an,application,is,filed,by,the,respondent,before, the,Tribunal,in,the,year,2024.,As,such,,there,is,a,delay,of, almost, four, years, in, filing, the, application, before, the, Tribunal., , Without, giving, any, reason, for, condoning, the, delay,, the, Tribunal, entertained, the, application, and, the, impugned,order,has,been,passed.,,Secondly,,he,contended, that, even, though, common, charges, have, been, issued, against, both, DGOs,, since, taking, note, that, Mohammed, Ismail, was, a, retired, employee,, the, appellate, authority, after, considering, the, material, available, on, record,, has, allowed,the,appeal,preferred.,,In,respect,of,respondent,is, concerned,, the, appellate, authority, has, confirmed, the, charges, and, this, aspect, of, the, matter, has, not, been, ( , ( ( considered, by, the, Tribunal., Therefore,, he, sought, for, allowing,the,writ,petition.,, , , 7., Learned, counsel, appearing, for, the, caveator/respondent, submits, that, the, allegations, against, both,the,DGOs,are,same,and,even,common,charge,memo, has, been, issued., , The, appeal, filed, by, the, Mohammed, Ismail,has,been,allowed.,Only,because,the,petitioner,is,in, the,service,,his,appeal,has,been,dismissed.,,This,action,of, the,appellate,authority,is,arbitrary.,,He,further,contended, that, when, common, enquiry, has, been, conducted,, the, appellate,authority,has,entertained,that,appeal,preferred, by, Mohammed, Ismail, and, in, the, case, of, other,, it, is, dismissed,,which,amounts,to,discrimination,of,violation,of, Article,14,of,the,Constitution,of,India.,,, , , 8., In, support, of, his, contentions,, the, learned, counsel,has,relied,on,the,judgment,of,Hon'ble,Apex,Court, in,the,case,of,Sengara(Singh(and(others(Vs.(State(of( Punjab( and( others( reported, in( (1983)( 4( SCC( 225.,, , ,,,,,,,, ( , ( ( , 9., Heard, the, learned, counsel, appearing, for, the, parties,and,perused,the,writ,petition,papers.,, , , 10., It,is,not,in,dispute,that,respondent,herein,and, one,Mohammed,Ismail,were,working,in,the,department,of, Treasury., , When, the, respondent, and, Mohammed, Ismail, were,working,in,the,department,of,Treasury,,departmental, enquiry,has,been,initiated,against,both,the,employees,in, respect, of, sanctioning, the, grant-in-aid, bill, dated,

24.03.1997,for,a,sum,of,Rs.99,900/-,and,Rs.5,07,600/-,, dated, 31.03.1997,, totally, amounting, to, Rs.6,07,500/-, contrary,to,the,law.,,Therefore,,common,enquiry,has,been, conducted,and,the,common,charge,memo,has,been,issued, to,both,the,employees.,,The,enquiry,officer,has,submitted, the, report, dated, 05.03.2001, stating, that, allegations, against, both, the, employees, have, been, proved., , The, disciplinary, authority, has, passed, an, order, imposing, penalty,on,both,the,employees,by,imposing,the,penalty,of, withholding,three,annul,increments,with,cumulative,effect, and, the, promotion, for, three, years, and, also, ordered, to, ( , ( ( recover, for, a, sum, of, Rs.3,03,750/-, each, from, of, the, DGOs.,,,,, , , , , 11., Being, aggrieved, by, the, order, passed, by, the, disciplinary, authority, imposing, the, penalty,, respondent, and, Mohammed, Ismail, both, have, filed, different, appeals, before, the, competent, authority., , The, appeal, filed, by, Mohammed,Ismail,has,been,allowed,,whereas,the,appeal, filed,by,the,respondent,herein,has,been,dismissed.,,Even, though, joint, enquiry, has, been, conducted, and, common, charges, has, been, issued, to, both, DGOs, and, penalty, has, been, imposed, upon, both, DGOs,, only, because, the, employee,Mohammed,Ismail,has,retired,from,the,service,, his,application,has,been,allowed,and,since,the,respondent, is,in,the,service,,the,appellate,authority,has,rejected,his, appeal.,,This,action,of,the,appellate,authority,amounts,to, discrimination.,,The,Tribunal,after,considering,the,reason, assigned,by, the,appellate,authority,has,rightly, held,that, the,order,passed,by,the,appellate,authority,is,in,arbitrary, and,in,violation,of,Article,14,of,the,Constitution,of,India.,,, ( , ( ( , , 12., The, relevant,paragraph, is, extracted, as, below:,, , , , "8.,The,applicant,and,another,Mohammed,Ismail, were, called, up, for, disciplinary, proceedings, by, issuing, the,common,articles,of,charges,and,the,allegations,are, also,common,and,the,enquiry,officer,has,conducted,the, enquiry,and,proved,the,allegations,in,respect,of,both,the, applicant, and, one, Mohammed, Ismail., The, said, order, was,challenged,before,this,Tribunal,and,this,Tribunal,at, para,No.5,has,considered,the,submitted,of,the,applicant, and,ultimately,held,at,Para,Nos.5,,6,and,7,which,reads, as,follows:, "5., The, learned, counsel, for, the, applicant, has, submitted, that, the, enquiry, officer, should, have, conducted, the,enquiry,and,submitted,a,report,and, while,submitting,the,report,,the,enquiry, officer, is, expected, to, follow, the, mandate,of,sub-rule,(23),of,Rule,11,of, KCS, (CCA), Rules,, 1957., Sub-rule, (23), of,Rule,11,is,relevant,and,is,extracted, below:,, "(23), (i), After, the, conclusion, of, the, enquiry,,a,report,shall, be,prepared,and,it,shall,contain.-,,

(a), the, articles, of, charge, and, the, statement, of, the, Imputations, of, misconduct,or,misbehaviour;,

(b), the, defence, of, the, Government, servant, in, respect, of, each, articles, of, charge;, ( , ( (

(c), an, assessment, of, the, evidence, in, respect,of,each,article,of,charge;,

(d), the, findings, on, each, article, of, charge,and,the,reasons,therefor.,

6.,Annexure-A6,is,the,report,submitted, by, the, enquiry., After, concluding, the, enquiry,, the, defence, taken, by, the, Government,servant,in,respect,of,each, articles, of, charge, must, be, dealt, with, while,assessing,the,evidence,in,respect, of, each, charge., No, separate, finding, is, given,on,each,of,the,articles,of,charge, and, the, reasons, thereon., Ongoing, through,the,same,,it,is,evident,that,the, enquiry,report,is,not,in,accordance,with, sub-rule,(23),of,Rule,11,of,K.C.S.,(CCA), Rules,,1957., ,

7., Even, otherwise,, the, appeal, filed, under, Rule, 18, of, the, K.C.S., (CCA), Rules,,1957,will,have,to,be,disposed,of, in,accordance,with,the,mandate,of,Rule, 25, of, CCA, Rules., While, upholding, the, finding,of,the,disciplinary,authority,,the, disciplinary, authority, is, expected, to, give,valid,and,cogent,reasons.,Separate, finding, must, be, given, about, the, quantum, of, penalty, imposed, on, the, DGO, stating, as, to, whether, the, said, Quantum,of,penalty,is,proportionate,or, shocking.,No,such,approach,is,adopted, by, the, appellate, authority, while, disposing,of,the,appeal.,In,the,light,of, these,legal,infirmities,,the,matter,needs, ( , ( ( to, be, sent, back, to, the, appellate, authority, to, pass, an, appropriate, order, keeping,in,mind,the,observations,made, by,this,Tribunal.", , Ultimately,,allowed,the,application,and,remitted,back,to, the,appellate,authority,and,after,remand,the,appellate, authority,has,issued,the,order,as,could,be,seen,from, the, order, passed, by, the, appellate, authority, dated,

29.04.2020,,the,appellate,authority,has,not,considered, the,direction,issued,specifically,mentioning,with,regard, to,the,report,of,the,enquiry,officer.,On,the,other,hand,, the, appellate, authority, has, extracted, the, table, and, rejected, the, appeal, whereas, in, respect, of, another, person,also,submitted,an,appeal,in,that,the,appellate, authority,has,passed,the,order,as,per,Annexure-A5,in, which, the, appellate, authority, on, considering, his, case, allowed,the,appeal,the,same,is,reads,as,follows:, "I, have, considered, the, appeal, petition, under, Rule, 18, of, KCS(CCA), Rules,, 1957,, submitted, by, Sri, Md., Ismail,, retired, Head, Accountant,, Treasury, Department,, against, the, Orders, of, Government, as, Disciplinary, Authority, Imposing, the, penalty, of, recovery, of, 50%, of, the, total, loss, caused, (Rs.6,07,500/-),i.e.,,Rs.3,03,750/-,with, 8%, Interest, from, his, pensionary, benefits, under, Rule, 214, and, 215-A, of, K.C.S.Rs.vide, Government, Order, No., FD,189,Aa,Kha,E,2001,,dated:,11-8-04., I, have, considered, the, appeal, in, the, light, of, the, contentions, made, in, the, appeal, petition, and, the, connected, ( , ( ( inequiry, records, and, the, appeal, records.,, Ongoing,through,the,records,,I,find,that, the,appellant,obviously, seems, to, have, acted,in,haste,in,passing,the,fake,bills, as, it, was, the, last, day, of, the, financial, year., He, has, passed, the, fake, bill, for, grant-in-aid,under,the,Head,of,Account, 2235-02-104-2-01, submitted, by, Arunodaya, Disabled, and, Aged, Service, Society,, Gulbarga, on, 24-3-1997, and, 31-3-1997, for, Rs.99,900/-, and, Rs.5,07,600/-, respectively, without, properly, processing, the, same., The, Director,of,Treasury,sought,approval,of, Government, for, exempting, Treasury, staff, from, the, recovery, of, loss, caused, to, Government, and, had, made, a, proposal, to, Government, for, taking, a, decision, to, prosecute, the, Institute, which,submitted,the,fake,bill,which,had, been, passed, by, the, Treasury, staff, in, the, year, end, rush, of, work., No, doubt,, there, has, been, lapse, on, their, part, in, not,properly,scrutinizing,the,Bills.,There, does, not, seem, to, be, any, deliberate, attempt,on,their,part,to,collude,with,the, Institute,which,submitted,the,fake,Bill., It, also, appears, no, action, has, been, taken,in,respect,of,the,Institute,which, made, the, fake, claim., The, real, culprits, who,defrauded,Government,need,to,be, booked., However,, on, account, of, lapse, on, the, part, of, the, appellant, in, not, properly, ( , ( ( examining, the, claims,, there, has, been, loss, to, Government,, in, View, of, admitting, a, fake, grant-in-aid, bill, and, passing,it,without,proper,scrutiny.,, Hence,,I,allow, the, appeal,petition,and, the,penalty,imposed,is,modified,to,the, extent,, of, recovery, of, five, percent, of, the,loss,caused,to,Government,without, interest,, from, the, pensionary, benefits, of,the,appellant,and,the,Government,is, directed, to, probe, into, the, issue, of, prosecuting,the,real,culprits,who,so,far, appear,to,have,gone,scot,free,for,their, criminal,acts.",, Thereby, considering, the, fact, that, it, is, the, end, of, financial,year,there,was,a,rush,therefore,,they,could,not, able, to, find, out, the, fake, bills, by, that, Society., On, considering, the, same, has, exonerated, the, applicant, therefore,,find,that,it,is,difficult,to,find,,fault,with,the, bills,submitted,by,those,persons,,the,consideration,and, the, findings, is, also, applicable, to, the, case, of, the, applicant,as,who,only,assisted,the,said,person,though, the,same,is,not,the,actual,duties,of,the,applicant.,That, being, the, position,, the, order, issued, by, the, appellate, authority, without, considering, the, same, and, differently, considering,the,case,of,the,applicant,,the,said,action,is, not, permissible, in, view, of, the, law, laid, down, by, the, Hon'ble, Apex,Court, in, the, case, of, Sengara, Singh,V/s., The, State, of, Punjab, and, Others, reported, in, 1983, (4), SCC,225,in,which,the,Hon'ble,Apex,Court,on,considering, with,regard,to,initiation,of,disciplinary,proceedings,and, on,consideration,of,all,the,person,who,are,involve,like, similarly,and,interfered,with,the,order.,The,Hon'ble,High, Court,of,Karnataka,in,the,case,of,Abdul(Raheem(and( Another( V/s.( State( and( others, in, W.P., ( , ( ( No.200198/2022,(S-KAT),challenging,the,order,passed, by,this,Tribunal,in,respect,of,an,issue,disposing,of,the, said, challenge, differently, by, this, Tribunal, holding, that, some,of,the,cases,are,allowed,and,the,other,cases,are, disposed, of, therefore,, the, Hon'ble, High, Court, of, Karnataka,on,considering,with,reference,to,these,cases, and,decision,rendered,by,this,Tribunal,has,allowed,the, application,and,granted,the,relief.,Another,aspect,which, is, required, to, be, consider, that, the, applicant, is, aged, about,70,years,and,this,is,the,second,round,of,litigation, before, this, Tribunal, earlier, he, challenged, the, order, of, the,appellate,authority,and,also,consequential,order,that, is,set,aside,and,remitted,back,to,the,appellate,authority, to,exercise,the,power,under,Rule,25,of,KCS,(CCA),Rules, which,is,appellate,power.,In,the,case,of,another,person, without, approaching, the, court, the, appellate, authority, itself,has,considered,and,extend,the,benefits,since,the, applicant,is,also,similarly,placed,,he,is,also,entitled,for, same,consideration,and,required,to,be,considered,with, reference,to,the,same,on,consideration,of,this,Tribunal, while,deciding,the,matter,which,was,not,considered,by, the,appellate,authority,even,the,single,line,about,that, since,the,findings,recorded,by,the,enquiry,officer,itself,is, not, in, conformity, with, the, rules, as, considered, by, Tribunal,, the, appellate, authority,has,failed, to, consider, by, exercising, the, appellate, power., As, per, law,, the, appellate,authority,is,required,to,consider,the,case,alike, and, not, differently., On, considering, another, person, by, exonerating,and,in,the,case,of,the,applicant,considered, entirely,opposite,is,illegal,and,contrary,to,law,referred,to, above,,the,Hon'ble,Apex,Court,in,the,case,of,A.L.,Kalana, V/s.,Project,and,Equipment,Corporation,of,India,Limited, reported,in,1984,(3),SCC,316, and, other, cases,it, is, clear, from,the,said,decision,that, the, action, of, the, respondent, No.1, is, arbitrary, and, ( , ( ( contrary,to,law.,Therefore,,the,order,call,for,interference, as,the,applicant,is,also,entitle,for,same,relief,as,that,of, another,delinquent.,Hence,,following:",, , , 13., Having,carefully,gone,through,the,reasoning,of, the, Tribunal, and, the, contentions, raised, by, both, the, parties,, there, is, no, illegality, or, error, found, in, the, order, passed,by,the,Tribunal.,,,In,that,view,of,the,matter,,the, petitioners/State, has, failed, to, make, out, any, grounds, warranting,interference,at,the,hands,of,this,Court.,,Hence,, the, writ, petition, deserves, to, be, dismissed., , Accordingly,, the,writ,petition,is,dismissed.,,,, , Sd/-( ((H.T.NARENDRA(PRASAD)( JUDGE( ( ( Sd/-( (TYAGARAJA(N.(INAVALLY)( JUDGE( BL, List,No.:,1,Sl,No.:,27, CT:,SB, ,