D. HARIPARANTHAMAN, J.

1. The writ petition is to quash the order dated 24.01.2008 passed in O.A.No.850 of 2006 by the Central Administrative Tribunal, shortly the Tribunal, the second respondent herein. The Government of Tamil Nadu and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (hereinafter referred as the ‘PCCF’) are the writ petitioners.

2. The first respondent herein was directly recruited to the Indian Forest Service and was allotted to Tamil Nadu Cadre in 1977. He has rendered 32 years of service. While so, the first petitioner issued a charge sheet in Letter No.33392/FR.Spl.A/97-2 dated 16.04.1998 against the first respondent for the alleged misconduct committed during his service as Conservator of Forest, Social Forestry Monitoring Circle, Chennai from 04.02.1992 to 18.06.1996. The charge sheet was based on the audit report and the reports dated 12.06.1997, 04.07.1997 and 22.07.1997 of the Chief Conservator of Forests (Research), Chennai.

3.Three charges were made and those charges are as follows:-

"CHARGE-I

That you (Thiru) R.S. Barua,IFS., while working as the Conservator of Forests, Social Forestry Monitoring, Office of the Chief Conservator of Forests (Soci