Judgment :

Leave granted.

The appellant herein was appointed as an officer in the Gorakhpur Kshetriya Gramin Bank on 21.12.1981. He was confirmed on the post of officer [later on designated as Junior Management Grade Scale I (JMGS-I)] in the year 1983. On 18.12.1991, a charge sheet pertaining to the period from 1984 to 1990 was prepared against him. At that time he was posted as Branch Manager, Gajpur Branch, District Gorakhpur. The charge sheet alleges that while the appellant was posted at Bhatpur Branch and Gajpur Branch as Branch Manager, he had committed a serious irregularity in the acceptance/disbursement of loan (of a particular account holder). The gist of the charge was that he did not verify the genuineness of the claim made by the account holder for the loan in various small amounts. The loan amount was to be used by the account holder, who was an agriculturist, for improving the agricultural facilities on his farm. On the basis of those imputations it was alleged that the appellant has violated, Rules 17 and 19 of the Gorakhpur Kshetriya Gramin Bank (Employees) Service Regulation, 1980. It is not disputed before us that the charge sheet was served upon the appellant on