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2025 Supreme(Raj) 1879

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JAIPUR
ANOOP KUMAR DHAND
Sangam Chaudhary W/o Shri Vishvendra Singh – Appellant
Versus
State of Rajasthan – Respondent


Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellants : Anil Mehta, Yashodhar Pandey
For the Respondents: Kapil Prakash Mathur, Ashutosh Udawat, Pranay Sharma, Prateek Saxena, Saurabh Sharma, Sara Parveen

Judgement Key Points

Certainly. Based on the provided legal document, here are the key points:

  1. The court has taken up multiple writ petitions together due to common issues of law and fact, and has decided the matter through a single order (!) .

  2. The petitioner, who is currently serving as Pradhan, was issued a charge-sheet related to alleged misconduct during her previous term as Sarpanch, specifically regarding issuing pattas outside the abadi land. The allegations stem from a complaint and subsequent enquiries, including a survey, which found prima facie evidence against her (!) (!) .

  3. The petitioner challenges the legality of the charge-sheet and suspension order, asserting that previous enquiries cleared her of such misconduct and that the current proceedings are unwarranted and delayed. She also claims that internal correspondence suggesting the enquiry was unnecessary has no legal sanctity (!) (!) (!) (!) .

  4. The respondent argues that misconduct allegations can be pursued even for actions during a previous term, and that suspension and enquiry are within the authority's powers under the relevant legislation. They emphasize that the correctness of the allegations cannot be judicially assessed at this stage (!) (!) .

  5. The court observed that misconduct allegations related to actions during a previous term are permissible to be investigated, and that the authority's internal notes or correspondence do not have legal sanctity. The court clarified that the internal notes are merely administrative and do not create legal rights (!) (!) .

  6. The court noted that the delay in initiating proceedings does not bar the enquiry, as the law permits investigations into past misconduct even after the expiry of the term of office, provided the misconduct occurred during the previous tenure. The provisions explicitly allow for such enquiries to be continued or initiated later (!) (!) (!) .

  7. The court emphasized that the correctness of the charges and allegations is not to be decided at this stage, as the matter is subject to ongoing enquiry, and that the court should not interfere unless procedural irregularities are evident. The enquiry officer is to reach independent conclusions based solely on the evidence (!) .

  8. Suspension, being a temporary administrative measure, is not equivalent to penalty, but it should be exercised with caution. The court acknowledged that elected representatives are different from employees, but also emphasized that the court has a responsibility to intervene in cases of apparent misconduct or procedural irregularities (!) .

  9. The court rejected the writ petitions, holding that the proceedings and suspension orders are within the legal framework. It directed the authorities to complete the ongoing enquiry within three months, ensuring that the process is fair and not influenced by extraneous observations (!) (!) .

  10. The court clarified that its observations are only for the purpose of disposal and should not influence the ongoing enquiry. The authorities are instructed to conclude the enquiry based on the merits and provide a fair opportunity of hearing to the petitioner (!) (!) .

  11. All pending applications, including stay applications, were also rejected, reaffirming that the authorities should proceed with the enquiry expeditiously and conclude it within the stipulated time frame (!) .

  12. The legal principles affirm that an enquiry can be initiated and continued even after the expiry of the term of the office, and that suspension is a temporary administrative action that does not amount to penalty. The proceedings are to be conducted fairly, respecting the rights of the elected representative (!) (!) (!) .

Please let me know if you need a more detailed analysis or specific legal advice related to this case.


ORDER :

1. Since common question of facts and law are involved in these writ petitions, therefore, with the consent of counsel for the parties, all the matters are taken up and heard together for final disposal and are being decided by this common order.

2. S.B. Civil Writ Petition No.6663/2025 has been submitted against the impugned order dated 25.04.2025 by which the petitioner has been placed under suspension by the respondents in exercise of the powers contained under Section 38 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 (hereinafter referred to as “the Act of 1994”).

3. S.B. Civil Writ Petition No.3425/2025 has been submitted by the petitioner against the charge-sheet issued to her under Rule 22(2) of the RAJASTHAN PANCHAYATI RAJ RULES , 1996 (hereinafter referred to as “the Rules of 1996”).

4. Learned Senior Counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is presently serving as the elected Pradhan for the year 2025. A charge-sheet has been issued to the petitioner under Rule 22(2) of the Rules of 1996 pertaining to an incident that occurred during her tenure as Sarpanch in the year 2017. It is alleged that the petitioner had issued Pattas outside the abadi land, i.e., i

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