S.N.P. Singh, J. – This writ application under Article 226 of the Constitution of India has been filed by Shri Mahabir Prasad, who was working as Prakhand Vikash Padadhikari at Kurhani in the district of Muzaffarpur, when the application was filed. We are informed that he has since retired from the service. In this writ application the petitioner has challenged the validity of the order dated 23rd of June 1970 contained in Annexure 1, by which certain punishment has been inflicted upon him.

2. The relevant facts for the disposal of this application may be stated as follows. The petitioner was initially appointed as an Agricultural Overseer in the year 1937 in the Government of Bihar. He was promoted to the next higher rank of Superintendent in class II of the Bihar Agriculture Service on 16th of August 1963. In the year 1964 while the petitioner was posted as Superintendent of Agriculture School at Pusa he was placed under suspension by order of the State Government dated 1st of December 1967. He was treated to be under suspension with effect from 3rd of January 1968. A Departmental proceeding was started against him in respect of thirteen charges. Shri Ehsan Ahmad (responde