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W.P.No.31309 of 2018

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED : 04.02.2026

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR

W.P.No.31309 of 2018

and

W.M.P.No.36495 of 2018

S.Noorjahan

W/o.A.Saleem ... Petitioner

vs.

1. The Principal Secretary to Government

Commercial Tax & Registration (K) Department

Fort St.George,

Chennai-600 009.

2. The Inspector General of Registration

Office of the Inspector General of Registration

100, Santhome High Road,

Mylapore, Chennai-600 004. … Respondents

Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India

seeking a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, to call for the records relating to

the order made in G.O.(D)No.197, Commercial Tax and Registration (K)

Department dated 13.08.2018 whereby confirming the punishment made in

proceedings No.29511/V1/2010-1 on the file of the Inspector General of

Registration, Chennai, dated 10.07.2017 and quash the same as null and void

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W.P.No.31309 of 2018

and further direct the 2^nd respondent to send the proposal to the District

Registrar.

For Petitioner : Mr.D.Veerasekaran

For Respondents : Mr.Stalin Abhimanyu

Additional Government Pleader

*****

O R D E R

The petitioner challenges the order dated 13.08.2018 passed by the

first respondent, confirming the order dated 10.07.2017 passed by the

second respondent. By the order dated 10.07.2017, the second respondent

imposed the punishment of withholding an increment for a period of six

months, without cumulative effect.

2. The petitioner, while serving as Sub-Registrar, was issued with a

charge memo, which reads as follows:

“CHARGE-1

You, Tmt. Noorjahan, Sub-Registrar, while working as

Sub-Registrar, in the Boothapandi Sub-Registrar Office,

Kanniyakumari Registration District, at the time of surprise

inspection carried out by the District Inspection Cell and

Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department Officials on

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W.P.No.31309 of 2018

27.05.2010 between 17.45 hours to 21.00 hours, you have

demanded and received Rs.2,020/- from the public, who had

come for registration of document and from the document

writers, for you Tmt.T.Sherli Renuja, Junior Assistant and

Thiru.J.Chandra Babu, Office Assistant and kept that amount in

the concrete shelf in the office record was detected and seized,

thereby you have acted in a manner not appropriate to a

Government Employee and violated Rule 20 of the Tamil Nadu

Government Servants Conduct Rules.

CHARGE-2

You, Tmt.Noorjahan, Sub-Registrar, while working as

Sub-Registrar, in the Boothapandi Sub-Registrar Office,

Kanniyakumari Registration District, at the time of surprise

inspection carried out by the District Inspection Cell and

Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department Officials on

27.05.2010 between 17.45 hours to 21.00 hours, the Document

Writers, namely, Thiru.M.Nagarajan, Thiru.M.Thamburan and

Thiru.K.Kannan and their agents, were inside the office. In

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W.P.No.31309 of 2018

order to help for registration of document to the persons known

to the aforesaid persons, the amount kept to be given as bribe to

you Tmt.Sheirly Reenuja, Junior Assistant and

Thiru.J.Chandrababu, Office Assistant, of Rs.8,200/-,

Rs.3,700/- and Rs.1,500/- respectively was detected. Further,

you have permitted the aforesaid document writers and their

agents to be inside the office premises, thereby you have acted

in a manner not appropriate to a Government Employee and

violated Rule 20 of the Tamil Nadu Government Servants

Conduct Rules.”

3. The petitioner submitted her explanation to the show cause notice,

denying the charges. Not being satisfied with the explanation, the second

respondent initiated disciplinary proceedings. Upon completion of the

enquiry, the Enquiry Officer submitted a report holding that the charges

against the petitioner stood proved. Thereafter, the Disciplinary