- (1.) Leave granted.
(2.) This appeal has been preferred against the impugned judgment and order dated 19.7.2011 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in CMWP No. 39609 of 2011, wherein the case of the appellant against the order of punishment in disciplinary proceedings has been rejected as the revisional authority had held that against the order passed by the disciplinary authority, the revision was not maintainable. The High Court held that on such facts the writ petition was not worth entertaining.
(3.) The instant case is an eye opener as it reveals as to what extent the superior statutory authorities decide the fate of their subordinates in a casual and cavalier manner without application of mind and then expect them to maintain complete discipline merely being members of the disciplined forces. The facts necessary to decide this appeal are as under: A. The appellant when posted as Sub-Inspector of Police at Police Station, Moth, District Jhansi in the year 2010, had arrested Sahab Singh Yadav for offence punishable under Section 60 of the U.P. Excise Act and after concluding the investigation, filed a chargesheet before the competent court against the said accused. B. During the pendency of the said case in court, a show cause notice was served upon him by the Senior Superintendent of Police, Jhansi dated 18.6.2010 to show cause as to why his integrity certificate for the year 2010 be not withheld, as a preliminary enquiry had been held wherein it had come on record that the appellant while conducting investigation of the said offence did not record the past criminal history of the accused. C. The appellant filed reply to the said show cause notice on 4.7.2010 pointing out that the said offence was bailable. The purpose of finding out the past criminal history of an accused is relevant in non-bailable cases as it may be a relevant issue for considering his bail application. More so, withholding the integrity could not be the punishment and as the criminal case was sub judice before the competent court against the said accused on the chargesheet submitted by him, no action could be taken against the appellant unless the court comes to the conclusion that investigation was defective. D. The disciplinary authority, i.e. Senior Superintendent of Police without disclosing as under what circumstances not recording the past criminal history of the accused involved in the case had prejudiced the cause of the prosecution in a bailable offence and without taking into consideration the reply to the said show cause, found that the charge framed against the appellant stood proved, reply submitted by the appellant was held to be not satisfactory. Therefore, the integrity certificate for the year 2010 was directed to be withheld vide impugned order dated 8.7.2010. E. Aggrieved, the appellant preferred an appeal before the Deputy Inspector General of Police on 20.8.2010 raising all the issues including that it was not necessary to find out the past criminal history of the accused in bailable offence and the punishment so imposed was not permissible under the U.P. Police Officers of the Subordinate Ranks (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1991 (hereinafter referred to as "Rules 1991"). The appeal stood rejected by the appellate authority vide order dated 29.10.2010. F. Being aggrieved, appellant preferred a revision before the Additional Director General of Police which was dismissed vide order dated 29.3.2011 observing that withholding integrity certificate did not fall within the ambit of the Rules 1991. Therefore, the said revision could not be dealt with on merit and thus was not maintainable. G. Aggrieved, appellant filed a Writ Petition which was dismissed by the High Court by the impugned judgment and order dated 19.7.2011. Hence, this appeal.;