- (1.) The questions raised by the petitioner challenging the departmental proceeding and the consequential order of punishment may not for the time being gone into for the purpose of disposal of the writ petition. The petitioner has challenged the charge-sheet dated March 25, 2006, the report of the enquiry officer and the final order dated December 12, 2008 and has prayed for a cancellation of the same.
(2.) For the present purpose we need not go into the details of the case. Suffice it to say that the petitioner while working as the Head Cashier of the Kolaghat Group Electric Supply under the then West Bengal State Electricity Board which has been renamed as West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (the Company, for short) was charge-sheeted on March 26, 2006 on various grounds.
(3.) The substance of the charges against the petitioner was that he had unauthorizedly accepted money for effecting temporary connection on the occasion of Basanti puja. The petitioner had kept the money with him without depositing the same to the company's fund and prepared one yellow card in favour of the consumer who was thus allowed to enjoy electricity without paying the dues to the Board. There were four charges of almost the same nature that the petitioner had taken money from four persons and temporary connection was effected without drawing any quotation, without issuing any money receipt and no deposit with the Board's fund. It was further alleged that on two occasions he had confessed his guilt.;