( 1 ) THE petitioner who is a Senior Inspector of Co-operative Societies in the department of Co-operation of the State Governmeat has questioned the legality of an order made by the Dy. Commissioner, DK dist. , by which, he has been placed under suspension. The petition has come up for preliminary hearing, after notice to the respondent. By consent of both the counsel the petition is taken up for final hearing.

( 2 ) R. 10 of the Karnataka Civil Services (CCA) Rules, 1957 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Rules') empowers the appointing authority or any authority to which the appointing authority Is subordinate to place a civil servant under suspension pending departmental inquiry. The said rule also empowers the Government to authorise any officer subordinate to the appointing authority to place a specified class of civil servants under suspension. But so far as the Dy. Commr. of a district is concerned, though he is not the appointing authority for various Class III posts in. different departments of the State Government, a special power is conferred ; vide r. 9 (e) of the Rules, It reads :" (E) any penalties specified in R. 8 may be imposed on a member of the sta