to be thrown out on account of lack of proper sanction from the competent authority. On a careful perusal of the sanction orders Ex.PW10/A and Ex.PW10/B, it is found that accused Babu Singh was serving as Kanungo in the Estate Office, Chandigarh and accused Ramesh was functioning as Patwari in the said office. Sh.Chattar Singh, IAS in his capacity as Estate Officer, Chandigarh Administration, Chandigarh described himself as the competent authority to remove both the appellants from service, passed the sanction orders Ex.PW10/A and Ex.PW10/B after satisfying himself as to the prima facie materials collected by the CBI as against the appellants to prosecute them in public interest. PW10 Sh.Avinash Kapoor, who was dealing with the file relating to this case has spoken to the fact that Sh.Chattar Singh, IAS in his capacity as Estate Officer has granted the sanction order for prosecution as against these two appellants. When the appellants had been serving in the Estate Office, the Estate Officer was the competent authority to grant sanction for prosecution. The evidence of PW10 in the light of sanction orders produced by him would go to show that it was only Sh.Chattar Singh, IAS who was the competent authority to grant sanction for prosecution as against both the appellants. It is to be noted that no material was produced by the appellants to drive home their defence that Sh.Chattar Singh, IAS was not the competent authority.
