1. The petitioner, Mr. R.A. Nagendranath, has challenged the legality of the order dated 14.1.2016, passed by the Managing Director/the Disciplinary Authority of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, whereby the Disciplinary Authority has appointed Mr. K.G. Lakshmipathi, a retired District and Sessions Judge, as an Inquiring Authority and has remitted the enquiry back to the Inquiring Authority by invoking his powers under Regulation 23(24) of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation Servants (Conduct & Discipline) Regulations, 1971 (for short, ‘the Regulations’). The petitioner has further prayed that the enquiry notice dated 28.3.2016, which is placed with the impugned order dated 14.1.2016, should also be quashed and set aside by this Court.

2. The material facts of the case are that in 1981, the petitioner joined the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (for short, ‘the K.S.R.T.C.’) as an Assistant Mechanical Engineer Class-II. During his probationary period, which was extended for two years from the date of his joining the service, the petitioner was discharged from the service. Since the petitioner was aggrieved by the order of discharge from servi