Goda Raghuram, J.

The writ petition is directed against the order dated 21-04-2004 of the Hyderabad Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (for short ‘the Tribunal’) in O.A.No. 1392 of 2003.

The respondent filed the application before the Tribunal challenging an order dated 13-11-2003 of the Senior Divisional Personnel Officer, Secunderabad, transferring the petitioner, a Traveling Ticket Examiner from Secunderabad Division to Nanded Division on “administrative grounds”. Though the order of transfer did not set out any reason which could characterize the transfer as punitive or comment on the reputation of the respondent-employee, in the counter affidavit to the respondent’s application, the writ petitioners pleaded that the transfer was on account of an incident which took place in a school administered by the Railway Women’s Welfare Organization wherein the respondent was allegedly involved in an altercation with the watchman of the school, along with his wife and children. Though no complaint in this behalf was received from the school, on coming to learn about the incident, the order of transfer was passed.

Before the Tribunal, the transfer was challenged on s