Heard Mr. Ravi Shankar Ganguli, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr. Maruth Nath Roy, AC to SC-25 for the State.

2. In this writ application, the petitioner has prayed for quashing an order dated 25.6.2003 as contained in Annexure-1 passed by the Chief Secretary of the Government of Bihar directing the appeal of the petitioner against the order of dismissal from service dated 16.11.2001 passed on his conviction and sentence for life in criminal case for offence under Section 304B, 498A and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (in short I.P.C.) pending till disposal of his criminal appeal no. 523 of 2000 filed by him in this court against the judgment of the aforesaid conviction and sentence. The petitioner, by way of a consequential relief, has also sought a direction for commanding the Chief Secretary of the State of Bihar to allow his pending service appeal by setting aside the order of his punishment of dismissal from service dated 16.11.2001 (Annexure-2).

3. The facts giving rise to this writ application lie in a very narrow compass. The petitioner, while working as an Assistant in the Department of Cabinet Secretariat and Coordination Department, was made accused i