H.S.Bedi, J.

1. The petitioner joined the service of the State Bank of India as a Clerk on April 18, 1962, and was promoted in the year 1972 to the rank of Officer in Junior Management Grade Scale-I and posted to the Jalandhar City branch of the Bank. While the petitioner was so posted, F.I.R. No. 481 dated December 3, 1973, Under Sections 420/468/471/120-B of the Indian Penal code was registered at Police Station, Civil Lines, Ludhiana, with regard to certain frauds which had taken place in the Jalandhar City Branch of the Bank the allegation being that 9 bank drafts had been forged and thereafter encashed as a result of the conspiracy hatched by the petitioner and his co-accused. The petitioner was accordingly arrested and while in police custody, he is alleged to have written a letter of confession admitting his guilt and also deposited a sum of Rs. 25,000/- allegedly through one Tilak Raj Walia as his share of the booty on account of the pressure put on him by the police. The petitioner was, however, acquitted in the criminal case vide judgment dated February 12, 1986, Annexure P-1 to the petition on the ground that there was no evidence against him. During the pendency