1. - The counsel for the parties have prayed that since the questions involved in this case are pure questions of law the matter may be finally disposed of. Therefore on the request of both the parties the case is taken up for final decision.

2. This writ petition is directed against the orders dated 8.1.88 and 25, 8, 89 whereby the punishment of stoppage of one grade increment with cumulative effect was imposed against the petitioner in an inquiry held under Rule 16 of the C.C A. Rules and the same was upheld in a Review Petition filed by by the petitioner under Rule 34 of the C.C.A. Rules 1958.

3. The petitioner's case is that while he was working as Assistant Engineer in the Ground Water Department of the Government of Rajasthan he was served with a memorandum proposing an inquiry under Rule 16 against the petitioner on the basis of charges and allegations annexed therewith with regard to the incident of 1977-78. The petitioner filed the reply dated 22nd of September, 1984 and it is the further case case of the petitioner that in view of the reply filed by him the inquiiy should have been dropped but instead of dropping the inquiry the order was passed for holding a joint