JUDGMENT :

Sashikanta Mishra, J.

The petitioner was a directly recruited as Forest Ranger being appointed as such on 07.01.1987 and was working as Range Officer, Tarava KL Range under the administrative control of the DFO, Bolangir KL Division. While working as such, certain charges were framed against the petitioner by letter dated 08.03.1994 by the opposite party no.2 and he was called upon to submit his explanation. The charges related to misappropriation of welfare fund amounting to Rs.37,198/-, manipulation of public money by keeping huge CB more than Rs.2 lakhs for personal benefit, serious financial irregularities by incurring unauthorized expenditure and disobedience of orders. The petitioner submitted a representation for supply of copies of certain documents to enable him to submit his effective explanation but the same were not supplied. He was also not permitted to inspect the documents or to take extracts thereof. As such, he submitted his explanation on 22.07.1996 denying the charges framed against him. His explanation being found to be not satisfactory, an enquiry officer was appointed and enquiry was conducted in which he participated. The enquiry officer recorded the