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IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
AT GWALIOR
BEFORE
HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE GURPAL SINGH AHLUWALIA
ON THE 5th OF SEPTEMBER, 2022
WRIT PETITION NO. 19637 OF 2022
Between:-
RAJESH
RAGHUVANSHI,
S/O
BHURE SINGH RAGHUVANSHI,
AGE 37 YEARS, OCCUPATION NA,
R/O VILLAGE MAHUAKHEDA,
POLICE STATION ARON, DISTRICT
GUNA (MADHYA PRADESH)
….....PETITIONER
(BY SHRI V.K. SAHU - ADVOCATE)
AND
1.
THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH
THROUGH
ITS
PRINCIPAL
SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF
JAIL, VALLABH BHAWAN, BHOPAL
(MADHYA PRADESH)
2.
DIRECTOR
GENERAL
OF
PRISONER & CORRECTIOINAL
SERVICES, BHOPAL (MADHYA
PRADESH)
3.
SUPERINTENDENT OF CENTRAL
JAIL, KRISHNA NAGAR, BHOPAL
2
(MADHYA PRADESH)
….....RESPONDENTS
(BY SHRI DEVENDRA CHAUBEY – GOVERNMENT
ADVOCATE)
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This petition coming on for hearing this day, the Court passed the
following:
Vibhor Kumar Sahu,Advocate General
This petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India has
been filed seeking following reliefs:
i.
That, the impugned order dated 12.05.2018
(Annexure P/3), 03.04.2019 (Annexure P/2) and
14.02.2020 (Annexure P/1) passed by the
respondent authorities may kindly be set aside in
the interest of justice.
ii.
That, the respondent may be directed to
reinstated the petitioner in the service with all the
consequential benefit or in alternative remanded
back to the respondent to consider afresh the
stability of the petitioner on the basis of the merits
and not only because of the mere conviction in the
interest of justice.
Any other relief which this Hon'ble Court
deems fit in the facts and circumstances of the
case same may kindly be granted to the petitioner.
2.
The petitioner was working on the post of Jail Guard. He was tried
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in a criminal case and ultimately he was convicted. The services of the
petitioner were terminated by order dated 12.5.2018 passed by Jail
Superintendent, Central Jail, Bhopal on the ground that the petitioner has
been convicted by judgment and sentence dated 08.12.2017 passed by
Special Judge, (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act), Guna in
S.T.No.1/2010. It is submitted that against the judgment of his conviction
the petitioner has filed a Criminal Appeal No.6068/2017 and his sentence
has been suspended. After the conviction of the petitioner, a suo motu
enquiry was initiated and the services of the petitioner were terminated
only on the basis of his conviction. The petitioner thereafter filed a
departmental appeal against the order dated 12.5.2018 and the said
appeal was also dismissed by impugned order dated 3.4.2019 passed by
Director General of Prisoner and Correctional Services, Bhopal.
Thereafter, the petitioner filed a review application before the Jail
Department and the said review application has also been dismissed by
order dated 14.2.2020.
3.
Challenging the orders passed by the Courts below, it is submitted
by the counsel for the petitioner that respondent authorities have
terminated the services of the petitioner without considering the merits of
the matter. It is submitted that a person cannot be terminated merely on
the ground of his conviction and the authorities must consider the nature
of offence as well as the allegations made against the delinquent officer
and also that whether the offence involves moral turpitude or not. No
such finding has been given and thus it is submitted that the order of
termination is bad. To buttress his contention, the counsel for the
petitioner has relied upon the judgment dated 7.1.2020 passed by the
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Allahabad High Court in Writ-A No.14570/2009 (Ram Kishan vs.
State of U.P. And others).
4.
Per contra, the petition is vehemently opposed by the counsel for
the State. It is submitted that there is a material difference between
suspension of sentence and stay of conviction. It is not the case of the
petitioner that the findings of conviction has been stayed. Furthermore it
is clear from the judgment passed by the Criminal Court, that there were
serious allegations against the petitioner of causing multiple injuries to
the injured Khilan and Veer Singh. The injuries were caused by means of
a Farsa on head and shoulder of Veer Singh and on different parts of
body of Khilan. There are allegations of humiliating the injured for the
reason that they belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. As
per the MLC report of Khilan, one incised wound was found on upper
part of right hand, one incised wound was found on right ear, two incised
wounds were found on left leg, two incised wounds were found on skull.
Similarly Khilan had also sustained fracture of right fibula bone, left
radius and ulna bone, as well as fracture of parietal bone. Khilan was
hospitalized and he was operated upon.
5.
Heard the learned counsel for the parties.
6.
In the case of Ram Kishan (supra) it has been held as under:-
9.
In Union of India vs. Tulsiram Patel,
(1985)