Abhilasha Kumari, J.

By way of this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner has, interalia, prayed that the impugned order of penalty dated 24.10.2001, passed against the petitioner be quashed and set aside. It is further prayed that the Charge-sheet dated 11.11.1997 and the reasons for disagreement by the Disciplinary Authority, as communicated to the petitioner vide letter dated 09.02.2001, also be quashed and set aside.

2. The petitioner was initially appointed as Mamlatdar, through direct recruitment, on 16.05.1977. He was promoted as Deputy Collector in January, 1983, and was appointed in the cadre of Additional Collector in February, 1994. At the time when the petition was filed, the petitioner was holding the post of Director, District Rural Development Agency at Junagadh. During the pendency of the petition, the petitioner has retired from service upon attaining the age of superannuation on 28.02.2013.

3. During the period from 26.05.1993 to 09.05.1994, the petitioner was posted as Resident Deputy Collector-cum-Prant Officer at Gandhinagar. As the post of Deputy Collector (Land Reforms) (Appeal), Gandhinagar, was vacant, the petitioner