By the Court.—Heard Shri Shashi Nandan, Senior Advocate assisted by Shri Amit Sthalekar and Shri S.K. Pandey for the petitioner. Shri Vipin Sinha appears for the respondent-bank.

2. This writ petition is directed against the order dated 26.6.2004 passed by the Disciplinary Authority; and the order dated 18.2.2005 passed by the Appellate Authority of the Bank of Baroda, by which the petitioner was dismissed from service under the Bank of Baroda Officer Employees’ (Discipline and Appeal) Regulations, 1976 (Regulations of 1976), and his appeal was dismissed.

3. The petitioner was serving as an Officer MMG/S-II, E.C.#55384 and was working as Branch Manager at Kemri Branch, District Rampur. A Memorandum dated 30.6.2003 enclosing "Articles of Charges” & “Statement of Allegations” alongwith ‘List of Documents/Witnesses’ was served upon him for the acts of omission and commission in respect of reckless sanction and disbursement of loans under various schemes, without observing the Bank’s guidelines; flagrant violation of system and procedures; blatant misuse of his discretionary lending powers, for making wrongful gains to himself and demand/acceptance of bribe. The petitioner filed