O R D E R

Delivered by Justice Rajiv Joshi, Member (Judicial)

Heard Shri Ashish Srivastava, learned counsel for the applicants, and Shri K.K. Ojha, Shri Pramod Kumar Rai, Smt. Rachna Dubey, Shri K.P. Singh, Shri Bashist Tiwari, Shri Sanjay Kumar Tiwari and Shri Vijay Kumar Singh, learned counsel appearing for the respondents in the connected Original Applications.

2. Since all these Original Applications arise out of the same recruitment process conducted pursuant to CEN No.01/2014 for appointment to the post of Assistant Loco Pilot and involve substantially identical questions of fact and law relating to disciplinary proceedings founded upon allegations of impersonation in the recruitment examination, they were heard together and are being decided by this common order. For the sake of convenience, the facts are being taken from OA No.737/2022, which is treated as the leading case.

3. The applicant in Original Application 737/2022, filed under Section 19 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, has prayed for the following main relief(s):-

“(i) to quash the impugned penalty order dated 29.12.2020, appellate order dated 11.07.2022 and order passed by RRB dated 03.06.2020 passed by