1. Heard Mr. K.N. Choudhury, learned senior counsel assisted by Mr. N.J. Khataniar, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner. Also heard Mr. N.C. Das, learned senior counsel assisted by Mr. A. Das, learned counsel for the respondents.

2. In this writ petition, a challenge has been made to the orders dated 29.3.2007 issued by the Zonal Manager, Central Bank of India, Guwahati, imposing major penalty of compulsory retirement upon the petitioner as well as the consequential orders passed thereunder, including the order dated 7.6.2008 forfeiting the gratuity amount of Rs. 3,50,000 payable to the petitioner and the order dated 30.7.2008 issued by the authorities forfeiting the bank's contribution amounting to Rs. 1,77,000 towards Provident Fund (PF) account of the petitioner.

3. The brief factual matrix of this case, as projected through the pleadings, may be noticed as hereunder:

(a) The writ petitioner had initially joined the respondent No. 1 bank in the year 1971 as a Clerk and thereafter, he was promoted to the higher posts from time-to-time. During the year 1995 to 1998 the petitioner was posted as the Branch Manager of Thana Chariali Branch at Dibrugarh when as many as