respondent No.3, on the revision filed by the petitioner, the petitioner was ordered to be reinstated in service w.e.f. 22.12.2017, i.e., the date of order of dismissal, with all consequential benefits, subject to the final outcome of the criminal case. Consequently, the petitioner was ordered to be reinstated in service w.e.f. 22.12.2017, however, he was considered/treated as retired w.e.f. 31.12.2017, as he had already attained the age of superannuation on the said date. 7. Once the petitioner was reinstated in service w.e.f. the date of his order of dismissal, i.e., 22.12.2017 and was also considered/treated as having been retired from service w.e.f. 31.12.2017, as he had attained the age of superannuation on the said date, the retiral dues of the petitioner ought to have been released within a reasonable period from the date of the order of his reinstatement, i.e., 19.04.2018. Although, the other retiral benefits i.e. provisional pension, leave encashment and G.P.F. were released to the petitioner in time, however, arrears of pension amounting to Rs.3,81,569/- and gratuity amounting to Rs.10,00,000/- were released to the petitioner only on 01.11.2021, after an inordinate delay of more than 03 years and 06 months from the date of order of reinstatement in service, i.e., 19.04.2018. Consequently, the petitioner cannot be deprived of the benefit of interest on the delayed release of arrears of pension and gratuity amounts, particularly when the petitioner was found innocent in the inquiry conducted by the police and has also been acquitted by the learned Trial Court, vide judgment dated 24.09.2024. In such circumstances, the delay in release of the retiral dues cannot be attributed to any fault or omission on the part of the petitioner, and he is,
