JUDGMENT :

The instant intra-court appeal under Clause 10 of Letters Patent is preferred against the order/judgment dated 01.03.2021 passed by learned Single Judge in W.P. (S) No. 3563 of 2009, whereby and whereunder the learned Single Judge by dismissing the writ petition has refused to interfere with the order of punishment imposed by the respondents-authorities by which the pay of the writ petitioner was reduced by one stage from Rs. 4500 to Rs. 4400/-in the pay-scale of Rs. 4000-100-6000 for a period of one year with further direction that the writ petitioner will not earn increment during the period of reduction and it will have effect on his future increment.

2. The brief facts of the case, as per the pleadings made in the writ petition, which are required to be enumerated herein for proper adjudication of the lis, are as under:

When the writ petitioner was posted as Head Constable in CISF Unit at Bokaro Steel City on 06.06.2004 and was on patrolling duty at about 7.00 a.m., the parties of Crime Branch found that about 15 to 20 persons were stealing Iron Scraps.

On the basis of said incident, a departmental proceeding was initiated against the petitioner, in which he was found gu