Reserved CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL, JABALPUR BENCH JABALPUR Original Application No.200/1017/2019 th Jabalpur, this Friday, the 12 day of December, 2025 HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE AKHIL KUMAR SRIVASTAVA, JUDICIAL MEMBER HON’BLE MRS. MALLIKA ARYA, ADMINISTRATIVE MEMBER Shrikant C. Rahatgaonkar, S/o. Shri Chandrasekhar Rahatgaonkar, Aged about 56 Years, Occupation:-Retd. Senior Manager (Marketing), Chhattisgarh State Forest Development Corporation Ltd. Raipur; R/o TH- 1, Forest Colony, Jail Road, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) -492001.

-Applicant (By Advocate – Shri Manoj Sharma, Sr. Advocate, assisted by Ms. Anuja Sharma)

V e r s u s

1. The Union of India, Through its Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, Prithvi Wing, 6th Floor, Jorbagh Road, Aliganj, New Delhi - 110001.

2. The State of Chhattisgarh Through its Chief Secretary, Mantralaya, Mahanadi Bhawan, Naya Raipur, Atal Nagar, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) -492001.

3. The Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Forest, Mantralaya, Mahanadi Bhawan, Naya Raipur, Atal Nagar, Raipur (Chhattisgarh)-492001.

4. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, (Head of the Forest Force), Aranya Bhawan, Naya Raipur, Atal Nagar, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492001 -Respondents (By Advocate – Shri S P Singh, Shri Anmol Dubey, proxy counsel for Shri Ajay Ojha)

O R D E R By Mallika Arya, AM.-

This Original Application has been filed by the applicant seeking quashment of the orders dated 19.07.2019 (Annexure A/1) and dated 13.09.2019 (Annexure A/2) and further seeking direction to the respondents to reinstate him to his original position without any break with all consequential benefits.

2. Briefly stating, the facts of the case are that the applicant is a Member of Indian Forest Service, 1987 Batch of Chhattisgarh Cadre of IFS. Till 13.09.2019 he was working as Senior Manager (Marketing) in the Chhattisgarh State Forest Development Corporation Ltd., Raipur (Chhattisgarh). A Review Committee was constituted under Rule 16(3) of the All India Service Rules, 1958 wherein the applicant has been compulsorily retired from service based upon the State Level Review Committee report headed by Respondent no. 2 with active inputs from Respondent no. 3 i.e. State of Chhattisgarh and Respondent no. 4 i.e. Head of Forest Affairs in the State of Chhattisgarh. The applicant has a meticulous record and most of his ACRs were either outstanding or Very Good. After the re-organization of the State of Madhya Pradesh in 2000, applicant opted for Chhattisgarh Cadre of IFS and on 27.12.2000, he was allotted the State of Chhattisgarh. In the year, 2003 a charge-sheet was issued to the Applicant, in which the respondent authorities took 12 years for completing the departmental enquiry and imposing the punishment. Vide order dated 31.03.2015, a punishment of reduction by one stage of increment for three years with non-cumulative effect was imposed upon Applicant. The applicant approached this Tribunal. He could not get relief from the Appellate Authority and he filed O.A. No. 159/2018 (Annexure A- 13). Another charge-sheet dated 20.08.2007 was issued to Applicant wherein the department again took 10 years for completing the departmental enquiry. Punishment order dated 11.10.2017 was imposed upon the applicant. However, on appeal before the appellate authority, the appellate authority vide order dated 16.11.2018 (Annexure A/14) set-aside the order passed by the disciplinary authority. Thereafter on 01.12.2018, State Government recalled the order of punishment. A copy of order dated 01.12.2018 is annexed as Annexure (A-15). In one another case, the Lokayukt Organization recommended registration of a Criminal Case against Applicant and recommended for initiating the departmental enquiry under Chhattisgarh Civil Services (CCA) Rules. A charge sheet was issued to applicant in the year 2011. The Applicant approached the Hon'ble High Court of Madhya Pradesh by way of W.A. No. 1192/2012 wherein the Hon'ble Hi