( 1 ) BY this common judgment, I would be deciding the above three writ petitions as same question of law and almost similar questions of fact arise.

( 2 ) PETITIONERS in the writ petitions are seeking stay of the departmental proceedings initiated against them during the pendency of the criminal cases registered against them.

( 3 ) LET us notice the individual facts in the three writ petitions to the extent they are relevant:

(I) jainder Singh Tomar, petitioner in WP (C) 565/2004 had joined the MCD on daily wages in 1980. He was regularized in the post of Mali w. e. f. 1. 4. 1988. In January, 2000, petitioner was deputed to the Toll Tax Department of MCD.

(II) rajinder Prasad Yadav, petitioner in W. P. (C ). 593/2004 had similarly joined the MCD in May, 1989 on daily wages and was regularized in the post of Mali w. e. f. 1. 4. 1995. He was also deputed to Toll Tax Department in January, 2000.

(III) a criminal case has been registered against both the petitioners vide FIR No. 64/2000 dated 20. 12. 2000 under Section 13 (1) (d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 read with Section 120b IPC at Anti Corruption Branch. As per the charge sheet, on 20. 12. 2000, both