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HARSH BUNGER, J.

1. Prayer in the instant civil writ petition filed under Articles 226/227 of Constitution of India, inter alia, is for issuance of a writ in the nature of certiorari for setting aside the order dated 29.07.2025 (Annexure P-1), passed by Director, Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, Punjab and also subsequent notice dated 14.08.2025 (Annexure P-2), issued by Block Development and Panchayat Officer, Ludhiana-I (in short 'BDPO'), seeking recovery of Rs. 1,30,38,353/- from the petitioner.

2. Briefly, petitioner is stated to be a former Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat village New Rajguru Nagar, Ludhiana.

2.1 It transpires that various inquiries were initiated against the petitioner before different authorities; whereupon the petitioner approached this Court by way of filing a writ petition i.e. CWP-10315-2023, which came to be disposed of, vide order dated 17.05.2023 (Annexure P-5), the relevant extract of which reads as under :-

“1. This is a Civil Writ Petition filed under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India for issuance of a writ in the nature of certiorari for quashing the order dated 29.03.2022 (Annexure P-10) passed by respondent No. 5. Further prayer has been made for issuance of a writ in the nature of mandamus directing respondent Nos.2 and 3 to transfer the inquiries pending against petitioner No.2 to one authority.

2. On 12.05.2023, this Court had passed the following order:-

“Learned State Counsel prays for an adjournment to get instructions on both aspects i.e. as to whether the letter dated 29.03.2022 (Annexure P-10) has been withdrawn or not and also on the aspect as to how many inquiries are pending against the petitioners and in case, the said inquiries can be clubbed into one so that there are no multiple inquiries and contradictory findings.

Adjourned to 17.05.2023.”

3. Learned State Counsel, on instructions from Ms. Rajinder Kaur, BDPO, Ludhiana-I, has submitted that the order dated 29.03.2022 has been withdrawn and as far as inquiries are concerned, same are pending before the Executive Engineer, Malerkotla, Zila Parishad and also before the Director. It is further submitted that the inquiry before the Director is on a larger aspect than those before the Executive Engineer and Zila Parishad.

4. On a specific query put by this Court to the learned State Counsel that as to whether it would be possible for the Director to carry out the inquiry on all the aspects with the assistance of Executive Engineer and Zila Parishad in order to avoid contradictory findings, learned State Counsel has submitted that Director, in the said circumstances, would conduct inquiry on all the aspects, in case need be, with the assistance of the concerned Departments including the office of Executive Engineer and Office of Zila Parishad.

5. Learned counsel for the petitioners has submitted that the abovesaid statement made by learned State Counsel satisfies the claim of the petitioners and thus, present Civil Writ petition has been rendered infructuous and same may kindly be disposed of as such. It is however prayed that the State be bound by the abovesaid statement.

6. Keeping in view the abovesaid facts and circumstances, the present Civil Writ Petition is disposed of as having been rendered infructuous.

7. The State would be bound by the abovesaid statement.”

2.2 In furtherance to the above extracted order dated 17.05.2023; it appears that Director, Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, Punjab completed the inquiry vide its letter/order dated 19.08.2024 (Annexure P-4), the relevant extract of which reads as under :-

“6) During the course of enquiry the Block Development and Panchayat Officer Ludhiana-1 submitted that despite many efforts the petitioner did not submit any records of her panchayat and the details of such record is as under :-

(i) Proceeding Books

(ii) Stock Register

(iii) Account Register

(iv) Receipt Book

(v) Cash Book

(vi) Cheque Books

(vii) Pass Books

(viii) Utilis