CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI Reserved on: 13.11.2025 Pronounced on:16.12.2025 Hon’ble Mr. R.N. Singh, Member (J)

Hon’ble Mr. B. Anand, Member (A) Sh. Dalip Singh Verma (D.S. Verma)

S/o Late Sh. Het Ram R/o Flat No. 50, St. Ann CGHS, Plot No. 8A, Sector-7, Dwarka, New Delhi – 110075 Aged about 62 years Retired as Assistant Director (Education), District South-West (A), Group ‘B’

..Applicant (By Advocate: Ms. Jasvinder Kaur)

VERSUS

1. GNCTD through LG (Appellate Authority)

IP Estate, New Delhi Raj Niwas New Delhi – 110054.

2. Chief Secretary, Delhi Delhi Sachivalaya, IP Estate New Delhi.

3. Pr. Secretary Dte. of Vigilance, GNCTD Delhi Sachivalaya, Delhi.

…Respondents (By Advocate: Mr. H.A. Khan)

ORDER Hon’ble Mr. B.Anand, Member (A):

By way of filing of this Original Application (O.A.) under Section

19 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, the applicant seeks the following relief(s):

“(a) Quash and set aside the impugned penalty order dated

23.04.2019 passed by the Disciplinary Authority and the appellate order dated 25.02.2021 passed by the Appellate Authority, being illegal, arbitrary and unsustainable in law;

(b) Declare that the entire departmental proceedings initiated against the Applicant vide Memorandum dated 16.06.2017 are vitiated and void ab initio;

(c) Direct the Respondents to grant all consequential service and monetary benefits, including restoration of pay, arrears, recalculation of pension, gratuity and all retiral benefits, with interest;

(d) Direct the Respondents to revise the pension and other retiral dues of the Applicant by treating the impugned punishment as non-existent;

(e) Award costs of the proceedings in favour of the Applicant; and (f) Pass such other or further order(s) as this Hon’ble Tribunal may deem fit and proper in the interest of justice.”

2. Pursuant to notice, the respondents have filed reply and have disputed and contested the claim of the applicant. The applicant has filed rejoinder and reiterated his claim and the grounds pleaded in support thereof.

Facts of the case:-

3. The applicant joined the service of the Government of NCT of Delhi on 25.05.1985 as DASS Grade-II and earned promotions in due course of time. He was posted in the Office of the Registrar, Cooperative Societies, New Delhi as Office Superintendent in February, 2000 and was entrusted with the charge of the Administration Branch. His service record remained unblemished throughout his career.

4. Vide communication dated 04.04.2002, the applicant was appointed as Election Officer under Section 30(2) of the Delhi Cooperative Societies Act, 1972, by the Assistant Registrar (South) for conducting the elections of Lokvit Cooperative Group Housing Society Ltd. In discharge of his official duties, the applicant issued letters dated 11.04.2002 and 03.05.2002 calling upon the President/Secretary of the said Society to submit the requisite documents for holding elections. As no response was received initially, he issued a reminder.

5. On 13.05.2002, the applicant received a reply dated 10.05.2002 from the Secretary of the Society informing that the elections had already been conducted on 24.03.2002, that is, prior to the applicant’s appointment as Election Officer, and enclosed therewith the election report. After resuming duty from leave, the applicant forwarded the said communication along with all enclosures to the Assistant Registrar (South) on 12.06.2002 for necessary action, clearly conveying that the Society had not furnished the records required for conduct of election.

6. In the year 2006, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) initiated investigation into alleged irregularities relating to several Cooperative Group Housing Societies including Lokvit Cooperative Group Housing Society. An FIR bearing RC-01(E)/2006/EOW-II/DLI dated 20.03.2006 was registered, wherein the applicant was initially named. However, after investigation, his name was deleted and he was not included in the final charge-sheet filed by t