JUDGMENT

S.N. PRASAD, J.

The petitioner being aggrieved with the order dated 11.9.2007 passed by the General Manager(HR&A), Central Electricity Supply of Orissa, Bhubaneswar by which pension and gratuity both in full has been withheld permanently and the period of his suspension has been treated as such, has approached this Court.

2. Brief facts of the case is that the petitioner while working as Junior Engineer(Electrical) under the opposite party-authority was involved in a criminal case bearing Cuttack Vigilance P.S.Case No.63 of 1997 which led to initiation of trial bearing T.R.Case No.47 of 1998 registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

3. The petitioner has departmentally been preceded on the ground of demand of illegal gratification which has been alleged against him in the F.I.R. The authorities has kept in abeyance the departmental proceeding awaiting outcome of the judicial proceeding pending before the competent court of criminal jurisdiction.

4. The petitioner has been convicted by the criminal court of jurisdiction and has been awarded rigorous imprisonment for one year with fine of Rs.5000/-.

5. The petitioner has preferred an appeal before this Court, in which