expected from him to maintain discipline, act with responsibility, perform his duty with sincerity and serve the institution with honesty. In the case at hand, the petitioner had remained unauthorizedly absent from duty for nine months. No one can be permitted to remain absent from the service for a considerable long period, which is permissible only in special circumstance, which has to be brought to the notice of the Authority. The petitioner failed to do so. No fault / lacuna has been pointed out by the petitioner in the departmental proceeding. There is concurrent finding of the Authorities regarding the punishment order. Even the petitioner has approached this Court after lapse of three years. Delay and laches for approaching this Court has not been explained by the petitioner. The Hon’ble Apex Court, relying upon various judgments, in the case of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board & Ors. Vs. T.T. Murali Babu , reported in (2014) 4 SCC 108 , while dealing with the matter of delay and laches in approaching the Court, as also the concept of punishment for unauthorized absence, has observed in relevant paragraphs, which read as under:-
