JUDGMENT

Anu Sivaraman J.

1. Both these appeals are directed against judgment of the learned single Judge in W.P.(C).No.7182 of 2020. The appellant in W.A.No.794 of 2022 challenges the judgment inasmuch as the learned single Judge only reduced the punishment of removal from service to one of compulsory retirement and did not direct the reinstatement of the appellant. While the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL for short), the appellant in W.A.No.768 of 2022, challenges the finding in the judgment that the penalty of removal from service for the proven charge of unauthorised absence from 1.05.2013 onwards was shockingly disproportionate and that the next lower punishment of compulsory retirement from service is to be substituted.

2.The parties and documents are referred to as in W.P(C).No.7182 of 2020 for the sake of convenience and clarity.

3.The facts necessary for consideration of the issue are as follows:-

The petitioner in the writ petition, joined service as Assistant Engineer in the KSEBL on 18.3.1993. He was promoted as Assistant Executive Engineer in 1996