Dharmendra Banjare v. State of Chhattisgarh
Case brief
What is this about?
Chhattisgarh HC Bilaspur, WPS No. 863 of 2025, decided 10/03/2025 (Amitendra Kishore Prasad, J.): removal of two constables under Article 311(2)(b) without departmental enquiry set aside; requirement to record/disclose reasons for dispensing with enquiry; denial of natural justice; allegations unproved, gun-pointing charge unsupported by affidavit; Rule 3(1) of the Rules of 1965; reinstatement granted, back wages via representation subject to gainful-employment check; relied on Mohinder Singh Gill, Tulsiram Patel, Jaswant Singh, Tarsem Singh, this Court's WPS 2556/2011; applied Chhote Lal (2000) 10 SCC 196 and Reena Rani (2012) 10 SCC 215.
What did the court decide?
All impugned orders dated 28.02.2022, 15.07.2022, 16.05.2023 and 20.11.2024 set aside; both petitioners directed to be reinstated in service; liberty to file representation for back wages before the respondent/competent authority within four weeks, to be considered and decided in accordance with law on its own merit after enquiring whether the petitioners were gainfully employed during the period; no cost.