##PAGE1##

1

O.A. No. 050/00042/2025

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL

PATNA BENCH

PATNA

O.A. No. 050/00042/2025

Date of order: - 05.02.2026

C O R A M

HON’BLE MR. KUMAR RAJESH CHANDRA, MEMBER [A]

Arun Kumar Pandey,

Aged about 61 years, S/o Late Narmedeshwar Pandey, Rtd. Sub

Postmaster Chausa SO, Resident of Moh-Nehru Nagar, Distt- Buxar-

802101.

.………Applicant

Versus

1. The Union of India through Secretary, Ministry of Communication

and IT, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi- 110001.

2. The Chief Postmaster General, Bihar Circle, Patna- 800001.

3. The General Manager (Finance), Postal Accounts, GPO Campus,

Patna- 800001.

4. The Supdt. Posts, Bhojpur Div. Ara- 802301.

5. The Postmaster Buxar HO- 802101.

……..Respondents

For Applicant:- Mr. N. N. Singh, Counsel

For Respondents:- Mr. T. N. Thakur, Sr. CGSC

O R D E R (Oral)

PER:- MR. KUMAR RAJESH CHANDRA, MEMBER [A]

The applicant has approached this Tribunal under Section 19 of the

Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 praying for the following relief:

SONALI D Di Ng :it a Cl =y I Nsi ,g One =d P eb ry s oS nO aN l, A TL =I 0 L 5A 7L 2, OID.2.5.4.65=

1335963617493834803xeKNGD5eN7bXL, Phone=

d55227c56413c0574ef7e92b84fad3fa8644c2a67fb01f99

70cce81465079777, PostalCode=800009, S=Bihar,

SERIALNUMBER=

b85cadb360af4981732c949bc31df6d98e2c92428456ad

LAL c533ade9e38d5aed96, CN=SONALI LAL

Reason: I atest to the accuracy and integrity of this

document

Location:

Date: 2026.02.23 16:12:02+05'30'

Foxit PDF Reader Version: 2025.2.0

2

O.A. No. 050/00042/2025

“(a) Your Lordships may graciously be pleased to allow this OA.

(b) That your Lordships may graciously be pleased to quash and set

aside the impugned order dated 19.06.2024 (A/1) of the respondent no. 4.

(c) Your Lordship further be pleased to direct the respondents

authorities to release the withheld gratuity amount with 9% compound interest.

(d) Any other order/ orders as your Lordships may deem fit and proper

in the interest of justice.

(e) Cost of the case may please be awarded for unnecessary

expenditure incurred in litigation causing mental agony, sorrow, sufferings

and pain.”

2. For the sake of clarity, facts in the case as stated by the applicant in

his OA, are delineated and discussed herein under :-

The Applicant retired on superannuation on 31.12.2023 from the

Department of Posts while serving as Sub Postmaster, Nai Bazar Post

Office, Buxar.

While posted as Sub Postmaster, Nai Bazar PO, the Applicant was

allegedly implicated in a criminal case at the instance of one NSC

(National Savings Certificate) Agent of Buxar. Pursuant thereto, an FIR

dated 05.11.2020 was registered by the CBI under Section 7 of the

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The Applicant was taken into

custody on 06.11.2020 and remained in judicial custody until 09.10.2022,

when he was granted bail by the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at

Patna. Consequent upon registration of the FIR, the Applicant was placed

under suspension under Rule 10(2) of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965 vide

Memo dated 09.11.2020.

After grant of bail, the Applicant submitted representation dated

14.10.2022 seeking revocation of suspension. The suspension was

SONALI D Di Ng :it a Cl =y I Nsi ,g One =d P eb ry s oS nO aN l, A TL =I 0 L 5A 7L 2, OID.2.5.4.65=

1335963617493834803xeKNGD5eN7bXL, Phone=

d55227c56413c0574ef7e92b84fad3fa8644c2a67fb01f99

70cce81465079777, PostalCode=800009, S=Bihar,

SERIALNUMBER=

b85cadb360af4981732c949bc31df6d98e2c92428456ad

LAL c533ade9e38d5aed96, CN=SONALI LAL

Reason: I atest to the accuracy and integrity of this

document

Location:

Date: 2026.02.23 16:12:02+05'30'

Foxit PDF Reader Version: 2025.2.0

3

O.A. No. 050/00042/2025

revoked vide Memo dated 09.11.2022 and the Applicant resumed duties

on 11.11.2022 at Nai Bazar PO, Buxar.

The Applicant was thereafter permitted to retire on superannuation

on 31.12.2023 after grant of NOC by the controlling authority. No

departmental proceeding was initiated against the Applicant either before

or after retirement. No charge memorandum under Rule 14 or Rule 16 of

the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965 was ever issued. Even no sho