ORDER

This common order shall govern disposal of aforesaid writ petitions, pertaining to identical question of law, and heard analogously.

2. The facts and question of law involved herein are similar, however, in order to effectively address the issue involved herein, the facts relevant for adjudication are being culled out and taken from WP No.8843 of 2018.

3. The challenge is made to impugned order dated 15.03.2018 passed by the respondent No.2-Additional Secretary, State of M.P., Higher Education Department, Bhopal whereby the appeals preferred by both the petitioners against the order of removal from service were partly allowed and the order of punishment directing for removal from service was set aside and punishment of reduction to the lowest scale of pay was imposed upon the petitioners.

4. It is the case of the petitioner that at the relevant point, he was posted as Prayogshala Paricharak in the respondent No.4-College. He was served with a charge-sheet levelling a single charge. Reply to the said charge-sheet was filed by the petitioner pleading his innocence, further contending that no such incident has taken place. The authorities concerned decided to contemplate department